Short Change Hero
by Ghostina
Summary: Trying to honor Tommy's memory can be difficult when a League of Assassin member threatens the entire city over one man- Malcolm Meryln. Oliver finds himself at an impasse- being a hero or the man he once was. Oliver will have to set aside differences and team up with his arch rival to save family, friends, and the one he loves. Olicity AU season 2
1. Hunters

**Short Changed Hero**

**Summary:** An AU of season 2. Faced with unknown enemies and legions of assassins, Oliver finds himself with his back against the wall. Everything- friends, lovers, family- are caught in the crossfire, and he's barely keeping his head above water trying to protect them all. Sometimes the only person you can trust is your worst enemy…

**Relationships: **Starts Oliver/Sara before turning into an eventual Felicity/Oliver

**Warnings:** It's T currently but will probably become M at some point

**Additional Notes:** There will be OCs in this to add more depth to the League of Assassins, but this is not Oliver/OC or anyone else/OC. They are here to drive the story and give a feel of more danger. Furthermore, this is updated first on AO3 then here due to the formatting.

**Canon until Episode Three Ghosts**

**Chapter 1**

Three hunters kneeled before their leader and master. Their hoods were drawn back, masks down, and their eyes were casted on the stone floor of their home. They did not speak, they did not move, and they practically only existed when ordered to. Hunters had one job, and they always excelled at it.

Almost all hunters were born into the League, and those that weren't were still recruited at a young age. They spent the majority of their lives training harder than the rest of the assassins, and what they did to learn was largely unknown by the rest of the League. It had to be that way. The hunters were assigned to track, maim, and kill any League member than ran or anyone who broke their stringent code. This meant that they had to be faster, stronger, better than the rest.

Hunters obeyed without question, and they never thought twice about what they had to do to complete their jobs. They were the only group allowed to use less than honorable ways of killing their prey- better to lose a few lives in the crossfire then to let an assassin run rogue unchecked.

"Do you understand your orders?" Ra's Al Ghul asked leaning back in the shadows. In the past, he would have left such matters to one of his daughters, but the last man he had sent hadn't returned. Al Owar had disappeared in Starling City, and Ra's wasn't sure who the culprit was.

"Yes master," they replied simultaneously.

"Then go to the city I've assigned you each," he ordered with a wave of his hand. Each hunter stood and holstered their weapon of choice- one sword, one dagger, and one clutched a bow. "I want her found." He couldn't let the Canary stay out of their reach any longer; his youngest was already biting at the bit trying to get permission to go after the rogue assassin. "Alive or dead, it does not matter." They stood to leave when Ra's called one back, "Viper stay."

The only female hunter stood at attention, her head still down as a sign of respect to her master. Her bow was slung across her back, and she waited silently. A perfect soldier. With her senses attuned, she could feel Ra's Al Ghul circling her; his eyes on her. He could take her life right now, and she wouldn't do a thing to stop him. Her life was his to take.

"What do you know of Starling City?" he asked.

"It is the Canary's place of origin," she answered, no emotion in her voice. "But I would think she would not be foolish enough to stay there. She would have to know we would hunt her there."

"Very true," he said as he stopped in front of her. "I meant about the others there."

Viper finally raised her head to meet her master's gaze. She was unsure of this line of questioning, but she didn't let it show in her eyes or face. She remained impassive. "There is another archer. A vigilante of sorts, and he was the one who had tried to stop Malcolm Merlyn." The anger in her voice slipped through with the mention of the other League member.

"Good," he stated with a nod. "I am not sending you to Starling City for the Canary. She is not a worry to us. I have heard rumors that Malcolm is, in fact, alive and in Starling."

Without missing a beat, Viper asked, "And what is it that you want me to do? Alive or dead?"

"I'd prefer to kill him myself," Ra's explained, "However, that may not be possible. If you cannot drag him back here to me, then be sure he feels the pain of all five hundred and two people he murdered."

Torture wasn't unheard of in the League, but it was frowned upon. There were other ways, better ways, of obtaining information. Especially since most people in pain would say about anything to get it to stop, but Viper wouldn't be getting intel from Malcolm. She was ordered to cause him pain in return for his transgressions.

"And the other archer?" she asked. "What do you want me to do with him if he interferes?" She wasn't going to presume anything, and while it was only one city and one archer, he had garnered a name for himself.

"I would like to try and recruit him, but if he intercedes and protects Malcolm," Ra's explained, and the word _unlikely_ went unsaid. "Do what you have to to complete your mission."

"Master," she said with a bow of her head. It would be her discretion what to do with this Hood, but she wasn't entirely patient or understanding. If he got between her and her prey, it would be entirely much easier to just put an arrow in him.

"Allow me to make this clear. I want this done. I am freeing you of any limits that you would usually find. If you have to tear that city down, brick by brick, I expect to find a pile of rubble before you return to me empty handed," Ra's continued before he excused Viper from the room. He didn't doubt her prowess; there was a reason he would place her on the most difficult of tasks. She would finish this, even if it killed her.

Viper ran into Nyssa on the way out, and the other assassin's eyes said it all. The archer had not had much contact with Ras's daughters, but she knew to respect and fear them just as much as their father. If Nyssa believed Canary was still in Starling that put her in the path of Viper.

"Do not kill her," Nyssa pleaded. "I will be out in Starling in a few weeks' time, and I will deal with her. Turn down this assignment."

"I am not hunting your precious bird," Viper said matter-of-factly. "I have other matters to attend to in Starling City." She was unsure if Ra's wanted it spread around that Malcolm was alive and in that city, so she watched her words carefully.

Nyssa narrowed her gaze before Viper continued, "However, I cannot guarantee her safety if we cross paths." She watched as the master's daughter's muscles tightened with the intention of an attack. "But I will do my best to avoid her. She can be your problem." Viper headed towards her quarters with the intention of packing the bare minimum; she didn't even wait to hear what Nyssa would say in response. She had work to do, and she wouldn't get anything done arguing with one of Ras daughters. At least Nyssa was the calmer of the two and easier to speak too. Viper had even less contact with Talia, and for that, she was grateful. She had heard enough stories to know that the fellow hunter was anything but rationale, and she took too much enjoyment in her work. Viper liked being an assassin and she took pride in her work, but she did not gain pleasure in causing others agony. It was a job, nothing more or less.

At the very least, she hoped that Malcolm Merlyn would pose a challenge. She did get bored, and she wouldn't mind a bit of exercise on this excursion. If the Dark Archer failed, then at least she had this other archer she could try to contend with….


	2. Nightmares

**Chapter 2**

The nightmare woke Oliver with a start; his skin shined with sweat and his chest heaved as he came back to reality. He repeated to himself silently how he wasn't on the island anymore, and he did this over and over until his heart rate returned to normal. The details of the nightmare were already fading, and the lights of Starling City at night were pushing through the darkness of his mind.

The make-shift bed was cold, and Oliver didn't have to look to see that Sara had already left. At this hour, she would most likely still be in the clock tower but outside. Both vigilantes craved the night sky and open air; the city, even now, could be too confining for two warriors use to empty forests and enemies around every corner.

On this night, he was grateful that Sara had woken before him. A nightmare like that could cause him to be violent upon waking with someone else so close; ever since, he had returned he had tried his best to avoid spending the night with any girl. He couldn't risk their lives when he wasn't sure when his dreams would catch him in a vice grip; then again, Sara was quick and could most likely put him on his back if he attacked in his unaware state. There wasn't much grace when he woke up savagely.

Wiping the dream from the last vestiges of his mind, Oliver climbed from the bed with the intent of finding Sara. He was half-tempted to suit back up and go looking for trouble; the adrenaline would take his mind off things, and he could do some good. That man in the skull mask was still out there…

However, he decided against it; if Felicity or Diggle found out he went out alone with no support, he'd never hear the end of it. His IT girl would find some odd and awkward way to lecture him, and as amusing as it sounded, he just didn't think he'd have it in him to face it tomorrow. Still out of habit, he snatched a knife and headed outside.

Sara was half-dressed with a tank top and panties, eyes closed, and leaned against the railing in front of the clock face. With her head tilted back, she looked serene and relaxed. Oliver sadly knew better and recognized when she was also trying to forget a darker dream. She was centering herself, and he made sure to shut the door a bit louder then he usually would have. Sara was exceptionally well-trained, but during such exercises, the mind was shut off from outside stimuli. He didn't want to surprise her and end up being tossed off the clock tower. No hospital would believe any story he spun on that one… if he survived the fall of course.

"I wake up expecting to be back there," Sara murmured, eyes opening to stare out across the city. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"The island woke me," Oliver admitted. With Sara, there was no point to lying. She understood better than anyone what it was like to be there.

"League," Sara returned. They weren't ever specific about their dreams, but they didn't need to be. It was better left unsaid.

Oliver closed the distance and stood next to her. He didn't feel comfortable touching her as much as he wanted to. Physical contact, intimate contact, after a nightmare was near impossible; his body was too well rehearsed to defend himself. He trusted himself and his control any time but after waking.

"They're not going to stop Ollie," she continued. "They're going to keep coming after me."

"So _we'll_ stop them," he responded emphasizing the we. He wasn't going to let her face the League alone again; he'd stand by her. "You should still tell Laurel." It came with a bit of pain to say that, but he thought her older sister deserved to know.

"I can't face her… not yet," she added briskly. "She's going to see me how I once was not as I am. I need time."

Ollie nodded his understanding. He remembered that vividly last year, except he had worked hard to be sure it was the opposite. He needed people to see him as he once was. Even though it was difficult, he relaxed his tense muscles enough to reach over and touch Sara's hand. He felt her muscles coil, but she quickly relaxed.

"I need…" she frowned. "I need to get out."

"I'll go with you," he said. He didn't need to be told that she meant as Canary. They both had energy to burn off, and they had to re-establish their control. The easiest way to do that was in a fight. "Too much is going on in Starling for me to just let you go."

Sara didn't look thrilled with the idea of company, but she yielded and headed inside. In a corner, both of their leathers laid in a pile. She stripped of her top, and she caught Ollie's eyes with a seductive smile. It was a moment of normalcy in their wickedly different lives. She tossed Oliver his hood and jacket blocking his eye line of her for a moment.

Once he was suited with his hood pulled up, Sara was already rearing to go. Her bo staff was in one hand and the bow was in another. He quickly took it and allowed her to lead the way. Oliver didn't deal with petty crime as often as he would like some nights. If he came across it on his nightly ventures, he'd take care of it, but unlike Sara, he didn't usually go looking for it.

In the destroyed Glades, it didn't take a whole lot of time before the duo came across a mugging. Two young college somethings were surrounded by a pack of five men. They were teasing the young couple and circling them like vultures. One of the men had a knife that he was brandishing towards the couple, but with a well-aimed arrow, Oliver relieved him of the weapon.

Before the group could split, Sara was in the mix, and in a moment of a blink, she had two of the muggers on their asses and then unconscious with a sweep of her bo staff. Oliver watched as the couple took off down the street, not waiting to see what the two vigilantes would do, and he quickly involved himself into the fray as well.

Back to back, it didn't take much longer for Sara and Oliver to have the muggers down and out for the count. He refrained from killing them, and he watched as Sara had the same internal debate. The island had taught them better dead, and it was hard to ignore that instinct. Oliver had Tommy's memory to ground him, but he wasn't sure what Sara used to push past the urge.

"That was," Sara sighed, "not as exciting as I hoped it would be."

"They're not League trained," Oliver joked with a shake of his head. Sara smirked and shrugged. It went unsaid that they weren't trained by ASIS either. Another topic the both of them tried to avoid. For two people that had a better grasp of each other than anyone else, they had a lot of limits on what they would and would not discuss.

In the distance, sirens could be heard. Apparently the young couple had done more than just running; they had called SCPD. Sara and Oliver shared a look and left the scene, and this time Oliver picked up his arrow. He usually didn't mind letting the police know when he had been at work, but tonight was less about his mission to be a hero and more about clearing his head. He was sure the couple would claim it was the Arrow that saved them, but without evidence, the cops would most likely leave it as another 'currently investigating' case.

Across town in an unnamed alley, Viper stood with a frown. She hadn't been in this city for more than twenty four hours, and she hadn't heard a whisper of this vigilante. Someone of her caliber, she had expected this to only take twelve hours before she found the Arrow. However, he covered his tracks well, and he wasn't easily found. She simply wanted to have a conversation with him; if anyone had an idea where Malcolm Merlyn might be, it would be the archer's rival. As hard as it was to find the Hood, Malcolm was nothing more than a whisper on the wind; she'd need some information before she could proceed… thus the search for the vigilante.

Viper stared down at the two bodies. She pulled her knife from one of their chests and wiped the blood on their pant leg. They were foolish to think they could sneak up on her and attack her unaware. She looked at his partner who was still alive but trembling. The shallow cuts littered his body, and most of the blood had already congealed. He'd probably be begging for his life if Viper hadn't paralyzed his vocal cords when he had started to scream. She had questioned his partner first, and when he had yielded nothing, she had disposed of him efficiently. Now looking at the other young male, she doubted he would give her anything either. The vigilante didn't seem to deal with this lower scum often and made them useless to her.

Viper bent down and considered her quarry for a moment, and when she smiled, he seemingly relaxed. A second later, she plunged her knife into his throat and ended his pathetic life. What a waste of life, she thought idly to herself as she again cleaned her knife. She holstered it and picked up her bow. No need to waste arrows on creatures such as these.

Apparently, she needed to do something extraordinary to get the Arrow's attention, but Viper wasn't one for the spot light. She considered hiring someone, but she wasn't one for letting others do her work either. Perhaps, this meeting would be better if she simply discovered his identity and had a nice sit down chat with him. Up until now, she hadn't cared who was behind the hood, but this seemed like the most efficient method for getting what she wanted. Either that or she would start to leave bodies everywhere until she got the Hood's attention.

Both worked well for the assassin.


	3. Negotiations

**Chapter 3**

Oliver tried his best to pay attention to whatever the other board members were currently discussing with Isabel at the helm. He was relatively sure it had something to do with fiscal something… he cringed as he tried to dredge up the memory, but it wasn't coming to mind. At least, he hadn't fallen asleep during this one, so Ollie had that going for him.

Chancing a glance as his partner, he could see Isabel had her lips pursed, and she looked anything but thrilled. She had obviously wanted more input from the CEO, but Oliver was completely silent. He tried to give her a small grin, and that seemed to infuriate her more. If Oliver didn't know better, he would have thought that she was allergic to happiness… well, at least any other time that the emotion didn't come from firing every employee from a recent exploitation.

"Perhaps we should continue this after lunch?" Isabel suggested finally with a sigh. Most of the board members looked to be in agreement, and many of them shot Oliver disapproving frowns as they packed their briefcases. Once the conference room was empty save for Isabel and Oliver, she turned on him and said, "You can at least pretend to be my partner in this!"

Oliver held his hands up defensively. "I am trying."

"Trying will not save this company… _Your _company," Isabel hissed. She was practically fuming.

"Um," Felicity said meekly stepping into the conference room. She shot a nervous glance between Oliver and Isabel. "Mr. Queen, your twelve o'clock is here."

"They can wait," Isabel interrupted, and if looks could kill…

"I don't have a twelve o'clock," Oliver said, turning his attention to Felicity only.

"Well she's… She's waiting at my desk," Felicity continued.

"Tell her to wait," Isabel huffed. "Isn't that your job as a secretary?"

Felicity frowned and muttered, "Executive assistant." She turned on her heel and shot a look over her shoulder at Isabel before going to greet Oliver's noon appointment. It was a young woman, dressed in a deep red v-neck and tight black pencil skirt. Her brunette hair was pulled back into a bun, and based on the angle, Felicity could see the beginning of a tattoo on the upper part of her arm. "I'm sorry," she stated once within ear shot, and she watched as the woman turned. Her gaze was piercing, and Felicity felt as though she was being sized up. "But Mr. Queen will be a minute." She took a seat at her desk and took a long sip of her cappuccino.

"It's fine," the woman said briskly. "Mrs.?" She began searching for a name.

"Smoak," Felicity responded with a reply. "And it's Miss. Well for the moment it's Miss. I mean I hope someday it will be Mrs., but I don't know when that will be. Not that I want to stay Miss forever or that I'm taking my time… I mean…"

"Ms. Smoak," the woman said with a nod cutting Felicity effectively off. "Do you know how long Mr. Queen will be? I am a bit busy, and I would hate to reschedule again."

"No need," Oliver stated as he escorted Isabel from the conference room. "I'm free now." He gave Isabel a small wave as she stormed from the room. "I apologize for that," he continued waving her to the conference room.

"No problem Mr. Queen," she answered as she took a seat in the conference room. Felicity could be seen chancing a glance over her computer. "I am just in a bit of a rush, and it took a few days for me to get this meeting scheduled as it was."

"Yes," he said as he took a seat across from her. "But you'll have to excuse me as I don't even know why you're here. I do not even know your name," he admitted sheepishly. He had forgotten to get it from Felicity.

"It's Alexandria, but please call me Alec for the remainder of this meeting," she said with a noncommittal shake of her hand.

"So what can I help you with Alec?" he asked leaning back in his chair; the hair on the back of his neck stood on edge. He wasn't sure exactly what had him on edge- that meeting with Isabel or this new woman. He felt her eyes scaling every inch of him, and he wasn't sure what to think of her yet.

"I'm in Starling looking for something," she responded with ease. "And I have it on good authority that you can point me in the right direction."

Oliver raised an eyebrow and thought back to the Bravta. She didn't look Russian, but he couldn't think of who else would be sent to him like this. "I will help in any way I can," he said keeping up his business persona.

"That's what I wanted to hear," she nodded. "I don't want to make this trip to Starling difficult, but I can. And I'd prefer to avoid as much bloodshed as possible, but I will do what I have to to complete my mission." She watched as Oliver's eyes went wide, but before he could stand, a crash outside was heard. He glanced over his shoulder to see Felicity collapsed on the ground, her coffee spilled across the floor. "Don't move please, Mr. Queen. She will be fine. The poison I gave her is fast acting, and at a low enough dose that it will not cause permanent damage."

"Who are you?" he growled, his muscles tensed for a fight.

"I believe you've met one of my colleagues, Al Owal," she said.

"League," he said more to himself then her, but she nodded nonetheless. "You're not going to touch Sara."

Alec frowned, "I don't care for your precious bird." She looked almost insulted. "Others will come for her. I'm here for someone else. Would you like to take a guess at who, Mr. Queen?"

He didn't respond; instead, he kept as much control of his face as possible. He kept wanting to run over and check on Felicity, but he didn't want to take his eyes off the woman in front of him. He could tell she was dangerous, and he wasn't willing to risk a knife in the back. That would leave Felicity at her mercy. He would hold strong and wait for his opportunity.

Alec clicked her tongue and looked almost annoyed with the conversation now. "Please don't turn this into something it doesn't have to be Mr. Queen. I'm here for one reason, one person. No one else has to get caught in the crossfire. I see no reason to shed blood I don't have to." She smiled. "I'm reasonable unlike some of my comrades."

"Then what was that with Felicity?" he growled.

"A point Mr. Queen," she said standing, the knife hidden up her skirt now visible. "I can get to anyone you care about. I can kill whoever gets in my way, and I won't hesitate if I have to." She leaned over him in the chair, no fear on either of their faces. "But it doesn't have to go that way. My prey is not worth your protection." He gave her a questioning look, and she had to admit he was good. If someone had been trained in spotting lies, he'd get away with the innocent look… however, Alec, or better known as Viper, was trained in such methods. "You and I both know that I am talking about Malcolm Merlyn."

Viper stepped away and allowed Oliver to stand; she even stepped into the lobby, so that he could check on Felicity without losing his eyesight of her. "He broke our code, and I am here to find him."

"I don't know where he is." And that was the truth.

"Perhaps," Viper shrugged, "But two sets of eyes are better than one. He's in Starling, and I will find him. It's up to you how much blood I have to spill in the meantime." She walked casually towards the elevators. "This is a professional courtesy Mr. Queen. My master likes you, and I see no reason we have to be enemies in this. Don't make it that way."

"Then what is your real name?" he asked, his gaze never wavering from Alec.

"Well Alexandria is my real name, but I am called Viper in the League," she said with a casual smile. Her watch began to beep, and she stepped into the elevator. "Ms. Smoak should be waking up now. Have a good day Mr. Queen. I look forward to working with you on this."

Felicity groaned underneath Oliver's fingers, and he let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. He guided her into a seating position and handed her her glasses. "Swhat happened?" she slurred. "Did you spike my coffee with vodka?" she giggled.

"Are you all right?" he asked urgently. "Are you all right?" he repeated when she didn't answer immediately.

"Yes… No… I mean yes I'm fine," she finally said. "Wait, I think… What happened?"

"I don't know, but cancel all my afternoon meetings," he said. "We need to get to the Foundry as soon as possible." His gaze followed where Alec had been standing. Now, he didn't know what the bigger threat was- her or the fact that industrial centrifuge was being hunted for the mirakuru.

Note: Sorry I thought there wouldn't be this much back-story; we're alm1ost to where this completely diverges from canon. Leave a comment if you like this or if I mess up some details (haven't seen mid-season 2 since it premièred). Thanks


	4. The Code

**IMPORTANT Note:** There is a lot of back and forth here between what's going on with Viper and what's going on with Oliver and team. I've separated this with periods to make it easier to determine the breaks. Also I use my fic "Loss" to explain how Malcolm lived that night on the roof. So you don't have to read it to catch up: simply, Oliver was tired of all the death and b/c of what he said to Tommy, he returned to Global's roof to find Malcolm still breathing. Oliver in honor of his friend patched the elder Merlyn up and told him to leave and never return.

Enjoy- drop a comment if you like or see something wrong. Next chapter, we finally get to 3 Ghosts (I think, I wing it sometimes).

**Chapter 4**

Viper left Queen consolidated with a grin; that had gone better than expected. She had worried for a brief moment that the secretary wouldn't drink her poisoned coffee, but then Ms. Smoak had done her job splendidly. The Assassin member felt no guilt for her actions; she had to make a point that she was not to be trifled with, and she hoped she made it. If not, she would have to expand her hunting field to Mr. Queen's friends and family until she guaranteed he wouldn't do something incredibly stupid.

The League member hadn't made it to the sidewalk when a black limo pulled up, and a door opened in front of her. She cocked her head in consideration before asking, "Is this a request or an order?" A gun became slightly visible, and while Viper was sure she could take the man, she decided to see what this all was about. She guided herself in and sat across from the man. "You're not the important one," she summarized. "You're just the delivery boy… Well hurry up, don't keep your boss waiting." She smiled pleasantly enough and got comfortable. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Malcolm had decided to just come after her, but she didn't even think he was that foolish to think he could take her. In combat, he could be a better archer; she had never seen him shoot, but she did know in hand to hand, she could and would overpower him.

….

Oliver made Felicity take a sick day and had her come with him to the Foundry. After what just happened at QC, he wasn't going to take his eyes off of her. He wanted to mix up a batch of his herbs as well, just in case. He knew from Sara that League members had a code, but he wasn't trusting of that. He had seen Malcolm throw it aside, so it was possible that this Viper would too.

"What's going on?" Diggle asked once they got to the car. He could see Oliver gripping Felicity, and he could see the worry in his friend's face.

"League member poisoned Felicity," he said, his tone tight with anger. "To make a point."

"Are you okay?" he asked turning to the IT girl. She nodded her head quickly.

"I didn't even realize it," she chuckled nervously. "I guess I should be more careful about what I put into my mouth… Oh wait, that did not come out right," she continued to herself as she got into the car.

"What are you planning to do?" Digg asked.

"I'm going to call Sara, and we are going to figure out how to deal with this. She wasn't here for Sara," Oliver explained shortly.

"Wait, she? And not here for Sara?" he asked.

"I'll explain once Sara is with us." His tone made it final even though Diggle did not look pleased with that.

….

Viper considered the building she was brought to as she was practically dragged from the limo. The man kept the gun on her at all times, but once she saw what doors she was being led to, she dropped forward and flipped the man over her shoulder. She broke his wrist retrieving the gun from his hand and put one bullet between his eyes. "I don't like having a gun on me," she hissed as she tossed the weapon aside. She despised fire arms; there was no finesse, no control in using such a weapon. She preferred her bow, and if not that, then throwing knives.

It didn't take her any considerable amount of time to find her way to the central room. Viper had a feeling if she had gotten lost, she would have been forced to reroute in some way or another. She was pleasantly surprised to find that when she stepped into the main room that there weren't twenty guards with guns on her; it was just one man. He was sitting behind a desk, considering her just as she was observing him.

"What's your name?" he asked gruffly.

"Alexan…" she began when he interrupted,

"Your real name?" he clarified.

"Viper," she answered truthfully as she took a seat across from him. "But I must say you have me at a disadvantage Mr.?"

"Wilson. Slade Wilson," he answered, and Viper grinned as she recognized that name- Deathstroke.

….

Sara practically jumped down the stairs when she got the call about a League member being in Starling; she was worried about the fact they had gone after Oliver first. If they were going after friends or family, then she knew she was in deep trouble. She had hoped that after the last failed attempt to retrieve her that she would get the reprieve she desperately needed, but apparently not so. She half wondered if Nyssa herself had come here… or worse.

"Felicity," Sara said breathlessly. "You're okay."

"Yeah it was no biggie," the IT girl smiled brightly. "None whatsoever." But the fear could be heard in her tone; it frightened her to think she could have died. The assassin could have killed her without batting an eye. She was lucky that this League member only wanted to point out Oliver's flaws, but as she glanced towards him, she couldn't tell if that was actually any better. He looked upset, but he also looked crushed at failing to protect her.

"Who was it?" Sara asked joining the group.

Oliver licked his lips before saying, "Someone called Viper." A pin dropped could have been heard; silence was punched into both boys at the sight of Sara's face. Fear, plain and full, flashed and held her face.

"Viper," she whispered before shaking her head. "No, no. They wouldn't have sent her yet. I'm not that big of a problem."

"Sara," Oliver said placing his hands carefully on her shoulders. It snapped her from the trance. "She said she wasn't here for you."

Sara breathed a giant sigh of relief. "Then what does she want?" She looked completely flabberghasted now. "Viper is a hunter, Oliver. Hunters a special branch in the League. They only go after other League members… those that run or break the code. What is she doing here if not for me?"

Oliver turned his back and leaned across Felicity's desk. "She's after Malcolm."

Diggle broke the silence first, "No he's dead. You killed him." When Oliver didn't turn to confirm that, Diggle grabbed his friend and forced him around. "He's dead, Oliver."

"No," Oliver sighed. "He's not." The two friends shared a look that said it all- why didn't you tell me? I couldn't… "I told him if he ever came back to Starling, I'd put an arrow through his heart."

"How did he survive?" Diggle asked.

"That's not what's important," Oliver went to argue, but Digg was not going to drop it. He looked livid at the fact Oliver had lied to him, to them, about Malcolm. "I felt bad that I lied to Tommy about his father that night." He didn't have to clarify that he meant the night the Glades were destroyed. "So I went back, and I found Malcolm alive. I was tired of people dying, alright?"

"So you patched him up?" Digg asked flabbergasted. "No offense Oliver, but are you insane?"

"I made it clear not to return," he argued. "But apparently…"

"Yes apparently," Sara sighed. "Do you have any idea how bad this is Ollie? Viper is one of the worst hunters. She's efficient, and if she told you she didn't care about the casualties, she wasn't lying. She once poisoned an entire restaurant to get to one man that had so much plastic surgery that there was no way to positively ID him. She _killed_ fifty people to kill one man, and what he did was nothing like what Malcolm did!"

"The League wasn't even supposed to know he was alive, okay?" Oliver pointed out. "I told him to get out, and he had stayed away until now."

"Wait poisoned an entire restaurant?" Digg reiterated.

"Yeah wait, I thought you guys had an honor code or something," Felicity pipped in. "Like Ten Commandments sort of thing, except you know without the whole 'thou shall not kill' verse." She trailed off.

"Hunters live by a different code. For them, there is an acceptable casualties clause," Sara explained before turning back to Oliver. "If she wants Malcolm, give him to her. Whatever she's promised you, she will do if she doesn't get what she came for."

"You weren't this worried the last time a League member was around," Diggle pointed out.

"He wasn't a Hunter," she growled. "We should be grateful that this is Viper and not Talia. This is a job to Viper, so she treats it as such. This would be fun to Talia, and she would slaughter any one she even thought _could_ eventually be in her way." She looked to Ollie on this and only him. "Malcolm dug his grave. He broke our code. Hand him over." This reminded Oliver so much of the island to the point it was uncomfortable.

…

Slade leaned back in his seat considering the League of Assassin member; she was polite and not fearful which was unexpected. He had thought she would have had some response to his name, and while it looked like she did recognize it, she hadn't even twitched over it. Instead, she had sat across from him and had a conversation about her intentions. "So you're not here for Oliver Queen?" he asked to be sure.

Viper shook her head. "Nope. I have no interest in the man, though my master does. He wants the archer to join us, but he is not my prey."

"Malcolm Merlyn," Slade said as if trying to taste the name. "What are your plans with him?"

"I am to deliver him to Ra's Al Ghul for punishment or if not, I am to carry it out," she explained.

"He does not sound like the type of man to surrender," Slade said.

"Perhaps but he also knows what awaits him if he doesn't surrender," she shrugged. "The death Ra's Al Ghul will give him will be painless next to what I will do to him if he decides to fight."

…..

Oliver was seething; he hadn't told his team about Malcolm for this exact reason. They were all angry at him, and he hadn't invited the man back to Starling. As it was, he had told the elder Merlyn last time they spoke that he would put an arrow through the Dark Archer's heart. "I don't know where he even is," Oliver growled. "I can't hand him over to Viper even if I wanted to."

"You don't?" Sara groaned. "It's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"Maybe but," Oliver said, "I'm trying a new way."

"I say go back to the old ways," Felicity muttered to herself. She couldn't get the memory out of her head of that night. Worse yet, she had treated Oliver from his wounds that Malcolm had inflicted, and while he had won, his body didn't look like it.

"She's right," Digg said in agreement. "If this Viper is this bad, maybe we should consider doing what she wants."

Oliver shot Diggle a look. "I'm not going to be bullied in my own city. We aren't going to do this because she threatened us." And Diggle had to agree on that: one doesn't negotiate with terrorists.

"Then we better come up with a solid plan if we are going to fight her," Sara sighed.

….

Viper smiled as Slade and her came to a reasonable agreement; she wasn't to kill Oliver Queen under any circumstance, but she could leave him hurting. Slade was the one who would end Mr. Queen's life if he saw fit. She nodded her thanks to the mercenary and stood to leave as she had to switch back to League gear and scour the city again for her prey.

"This might be of interest and use to you," Slade said as she prepared to leave. He would enjoy what fallout this would cause. "Thea Queen is his daughter."


	5. Threats

**Chapter 5**

Viper could tell when she was being manipulated, but it was one of those situations that she didn't particularly mind. Deathstroke was using her to hurt Oliver as he had to know she wouldn't pass up Malcolm Merlyn's only daughter and now family. She didn't have any intention of causing the girl pain unless she had to or if Oliver decided to stand against her, but it was always good to have a back-up plan.

Knowing about Thea also helped Viper in another way. The League member decided it was time to drop in on Moira Queen; the assassin had been told enough to know that Oliver's mother had been the one to tell Ra's Al Ghul about Malcolm. Viper wondered if he had contacted Moira again since then, and there was only one way to be sure.

Oliver sparred hard against both Diggle and Sara; all three needed to work off excess energy and anger. Both Diggle and Sara were not thrilled with Oliver's deceit even though they could see the reasoning behind it. Even more so, Digg understood why his friend couldn't kill Malcolm that night or now; it went against everything Tommy would have wanted.

Diggle ended up on his back from a well-aimed kick, and Sara quickly turned on Oliver to disarm him. They clashed in the middle for a few minutes before both nodded and took a step back. "If you want to fight Viper," she sighed, "then you'll be better suited then I would be for it."

"You have a more conventional style though," Diggle said getting to his feet and ignoring Oliver's attempts to help him.

"But Viper is specifically trained against League members," Oliver ventured to which Sara nodded.

"She'll wipe the floor with me, but Oliver's style will force her to adapt," Sara explained. "I might be able to cause her some headache since she's trained more specifically to take out other archers, but hand to hand, Ollie will be better off."

Felicity glanced towards the three, and she watched as they panted and relaxed for a brief moment. There was no point in pushing themselves until they passed out; injuries or fatigue would do no good against a League member. Felicity, on the other hand, was hard at work trying to find a way to track Viper's movements, but it was as if the assassin had dropped off the planet. On another screen, she was also trying to find Malcolm's whereabouts; Sara had asked her to do this not Ollie. She had a sick feeling that this was Sara's back-up plan if fighting Viper failed, and while she held no pity for the elder Meryln, Felicity did feel bad for not saying anything to Oliver at the younger Lance's request.

"I'm not going to kill her," Oliver said to Sara. "I haven't changed my stance."

"In this case, that's a good thing," she responded chugging down a bottle of water. "The last thing we want is for more hunters to show up, and they will if we kill one of their own."

"So what's the plan then?" Diggle asked as Sara moved away to work on some pull-ups. Oliver joined her nearby on the salmon ladder, and he could practically feel Felicity's eyes on him as he worked.

"Force her out of Starling," Sara shrugged, her tone suggesting that she wasn't entirely sure what to do either. She had never had a hunter on her, but she knew enough that once they had their prey, they did not very easily give up. "Convince her that this isn't worth it?"

"What if she thought Malcolm wasn't here anymore?" Felicity suggested. "I mean I can leave a paper trail that leads away before vanishing?"

Sara looked thoughtful before nodding. "That might work, but if she figured out it was a ruse, be sure your finger prints aren't all over it."

"It's electronic how would my…" Felicity started before catching the metaphor. "Oh yes, right. No, I won't leave a trail myself."

"I'd prefer to try and deal with this first," Oliver stated. "If not, then Felicity can make it look like Malcolm skipped town. I don't want this hunter running around unchecked." He had only been in the room with her for a few minutes, but he could tell she would do whatever she had to to complete this. That worried him even if he didn't show it. After what happened in the Glades, Oliver wasn't sure if Starling City could take another catastrophe, and he could tell Viper was more than willing to leave a trail of bodies if needed.

Viper yawned as she sat in the rafter's of the Queen's mansion; her body had begun to crash. Considering she hadn't slept in more than 72 hours, she figured it was about time for her body to give in, but she still had to finish this meeting. Afterwards, she would find an abandoned warehouse to sleep at.

The League member had money and a credit card for hotel, but she despised money. Anything that could create a paper trail actually. She was meticulous in covering her tracks, and money could be used to trace her if the clerk remembered her face. The easy solution for that was to murder the clerk after, but a body could be just as bad. If there hadn't been a city vigilante, she would have been more tempted to take a bed, but even with her threat, she didn't doubt Oliver would be searching for an alternative. He would want a way around helping her even if the elder Merlyn deserved everything that was coming to him.

Honor was of value to Viper, and she found herself respecting Oliver Queen. He had his own code and he held to it, and while it went against hers, she could admire it. Ra's Al Ghul would like him if she could convince him to join the League. Viper briefly wondered how much easier such a venture would be when Sara was retrieved; for Viper, there were no if's in cases such as these. Sara would either be brought back to the League or she would be killed; there were no other viable options on the table. Ra's Al Ghul no longer released anyone… especially not after what Malcolm did with his freedom.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Moira Queen finally came strolling into the foyer after a day of campaigning. She was waving away her help, and she had a few bags of what looked to be groceries. Viper silently dropped down behind the matron and followed her to the kitchen.

Viper did not notch an arrow or pull out her knife; she didn't think Mrs. Queen would be that much trouble. Once they were both in the kitchen, Viper made sure to kick the door shut loudly, and she watched as Moira spun, her eyes wide. The fear was practically palpable in the air.

"Look if you want money," Moira began obviously ready to plead. Her eyes narrowed quickly though, and Viper had to give the woman credit for trying to put on a strong face. She figured that would drop when Mrs. Queen discovered who/what she was.

"I'm not here for money Mrs. Queen," Viper said leaning against the door. When the other woman made a motion to shout for help, Viper coiled and made it obvious she was ready to strike. "Please do not call for your security. I would prefer not to ruin this beautiful kitchen with their blood, but I will have to if they come in here."

That silenced Moira immediately. She observed the other woman in black, the bottom of woman's face was covered, but her eyes were visible. It reminded Moira blatantly of Malcolm's Dark Archer attire, and she had an inkling that this had something to do with him.

"Thank you Mrs. Queen," Viper said with a small bow when the woman refrained from calling out. "Ra's Al Ghul sends his thanks for informing him of Malcolm Merlyn's survival."

"You didn't have to come in and tell me that," Moira stated. "I wanted that man away from my family."

"And that is why I'm here," she explained. "I am here to find Malcolm and bring him to Ra's if possible. Since you were the last to have contact with the man…" She trailed off hoping Mrs. Queen got the point.

Moira pursed her lips and frowned, "I haven't seen him since that day. He killed my driver, and I told him to run."

"So you informed him that the League knew of his survival?" Viper asked looking for confirmation.

She gulped hoping that telling him didn't cost her her life. "Yes I did. I wanted him away from us, and I thought that would work."

"Yes well, it did not Mrs. Queen," Viper sighed. "We have it from other sources that he is still within city limits. And if he is not, then I'm sure he will come back soon enough."

"And why would that be Ms?" Moira asked wanting a name. She was not comfortable with having an assassin the kitchen, but at least the League member had not been entirely threatening as of yet. She felt that Viper was dangerous, and while she felt on edge, she could see that the assassin was relaxed in her movements. Moira was not a threat currently, and she was being treated as such.

"Please call me Viper," she said with a smile visible underneath her mask. "And that is simple Mrs. Queen, and I'm sure you know why. When Mr. Merlyn hears what type of League member is in Starling, he will come back to protect his daughter."

"Don't you dare go near Thea!" she growled, and that was when Viper moved and had Moira pinned against her cupboards. Both wrists trapped in one hand and a knife against her throat.

"Don't presume to tell me anything Mrs. Queen," Viper hissed in her ear. "I will do what I have to to ensure I catch Malcolm. If you do not want me near your daughter, then be of use to me."

"I already told the League," Moira said weakly.

"And that is why I have been polite," Viper responded. "My usual methods for interrogation would have involved you hanging upside down in a dark warehouse until I got what I wanted and then you'd be dead, Mrs. Queen." The knife touched the skin of Moira's neck, and she did everything in her power to remain still. "You are alive due to your helpfulness thus far. Don't tarnish that." Viper moved away and released Moira. "I do not want to involve your daughter if it's not necessary."

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"I'm sure Mr. Merlyn would come if you called and told him of this meeting," Viper smiled. "Be truthful. You are quite good at that now, I hear." The assassin placed her knife back into its holster and turned to leave but not before grabbing an apple. "There is no reason we can't be civil with each other Mrs. Queen. Do this and get Malcolm out of hiding, and I won't have to touch your daughter. The threat should be enough."

If Viper could lure Malcolm out, and she could use Oliver, then she figured that she could have this all wrapped up in the next few days. It would work out even better if Moira mentioned to her son about this, but Viper doubted it. She didn't think Moira knew of her son's nightly activities as of yet.

"Good day Mrs. Queen," Viper said.

Note: I do actually have the next two chapters written and I am working on 8 currently; however, they feel off to me. Thus, I am going to take the next few days to edit them, so sorry that we won't still be on an update per day at least for the moment. If there is anything you fell should be changed or you see an issue that I perhaps forgot to address, let me know. I like to hear from you all :)


	6. The Return

**Chapter 6**

For two nights, there wasn't a peep from Viper. She had seemingly vanished off the face of the planet, but Oliver found no relief in this. He worried what she would be doing unchecked, and he had spent his nights scouring the city for any sign of the League member. Unbeknownst to him, his mother had made the exact call Viper had wanted, and she was biding her time.

As much as Oliver wanted to spend the night going after Viper, he couldn't. The break-ins for the centrifuge forced his attentions. Felicity and Diggle were behind him focusing on one problem at a time, but Sara had been adamant that he put his sole attention on Viper. Oliver could see it both ways, but he didn't know where the League member was. There wasn't much he could do without that sort of information; however, he worried that Sara would go after Viper on her own, or she would find Malcolm. Oliver understood the danger completely; after Sara had explained what lengths Viper would go to for her prey, he had asked Diggle to put a detail on his mother and sister. He wasn't going to risk them, and for Felicity, he had Diggle watching her.

The universe was against him this night. As it was only a few hours ago, Thea had him patching up Roy from his own arrow. Oliver would have felt bad if it hadn't been for Roy's own good; hunting after the mirakuru was suicide, more so with an assassin running around. Roy would be fine; the arrow had missed the bone and major arteries. He'd be up and around soon enough; Oliver had pointed this out when he dragged Thea to dinner. He didn't need their mother worrying, so he hoped that having both him and Thea at dinner would be calming. She had seem frazzled the last few days, and Oliver had yet to figure out the reason… he feared though that perhaps Viper had come to visit, but he had no way of asking without revealing himself.

Oliver had just finished dinner with his mother and sister when he got the text that he needed to suit up. There was another break-in, and this one they had caught early before even the police knew about it.

"Sorry business," Oliver lied to some degree. He stood and excused himself, but his eyes trailed to his mother who had looked pale all evening. "I have to take this. There's an emergency at the office," he said, but his mother paid him little attention. She barely responded as he turned to leave; his sister, on the other hand, did not look thrilled with him leaving. Then again, she had been a bit on edge since he had put an arrow thru Roy's leg.

"Where?" Oliver asked practically running out the door to his bike. He'd apologize to his family later and deal with the Thea fall-out later. He had to keep everyone safe, and he couldn't do that if Thea's boyfriend was chasing after him. "I'll be there soon," he stated to Felicity. He didn't need to tell her that he needed his bow and other affects pulled out. With the break-in currently on going, he didn't have much time to wait.

At the foundry, Diggle, Felicity, and Sara were all waiting. Sara was dressed in her League attire, and Oliver barely casted her a look. "You're not coming with me," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oliver you need me!" she sighed. "This guy put my father in the hospital and killed his partner."

He lowered his head at her words and felt terrible for forgetting. "I know," he whispered. "But I need you here. With Viper and everything that's been going on, I need someone who can handle her if she shows up or goes after my family." He turned to her and grasped her shoulders, meeting her gaze.

"And if she does show up?" Sara asked, and they both knew what her tone meant.

Oliver leaned down and rested his head against hers, but he didn't answer. He couldn't; he was at war with himself. He had been trying to show Sara that there were other ways besides killing, but he didn't want the choice to come down between their families or Viper… and he didn't want her to feel guilty if she was forced into such a situation without his blessing, but he couldn't get himself to form the words. He had to hope that Viper wouldn't rear her head this night. "I'll be back," he called as he pulled away, but before he got far, Sara pulled him back in for a kiss.

"Come back in one piece… or at least a piece without holes," Felicity called out before she considered her odd choice of phrasing.

Oliver didn't stick around to hear her correct herself; he grabbed his bow and got out to his bike. The warehouse looked quiet from the outside, but he doubted that it would be the same from the inside.

Notching an arrow, Oliver entered the building, his eyes scanned every nook and cranny for the thief. At first, the place was dead silent; he had thought that perhaps Felicity had tagged the wrong building, but he knew that was also an impossibility. However, the last thing he expected was for a masked man to come barreling at him full speed, but thankfully his island tuned reflexes saved him from the brunt of the attack. Oliver recognized mirakuru when it was at work, so he quickly put distance between himself and the other man. At more than an arms-length, Oliver was able to put a few arrows into Cyrus, but arrows didn't even seem to slow the brute down, the ones that hit at the very least. The two of four that had sunk into flesh, Cyrus pulled out and tossed aside as if it was insignificant.

Oliver ducked under an attack and slammed his bow against Cyrus's face, but it didn't even faze the man. He had beaten Slade with this coursing through that man's veins, so he hadn't considered that this fight wouldn't go his way. He had even assured Felicity that he could and that he had in no uncertain terms, but he felt a bit like a fool when he was chucked into a wall of crates like a ragdoll. It had been three years since he had felt the power behind mirakuru, and he was suddenly humbled by the fact he had beaten Slade by a mere hiccup.

Standing with a hiss, Oliver shook off the pain in his back and dove right back into the fight. The first punch dazed him, but he recovered quickly enough to land a kick before he got Cyrus into a choke hold. He was unable to continue the hold when Cyrus thrusted his elbow back. Oliver staggered away and gasped a breath; his ribs felt sore but not broken.

Jumping up, Oliver landed another solid kick into Cyrus's chest, and the man stepped back. Seeing his opportunity, Oliver moved in with a right hook before he found it in him to flip Cyrus over his shoulder and onto the pavement. He went in again only for the mirakuru-infused man to snatch his leg and throw him across the warehouse. Oliver watched as his bow slipped from his fingers, but before he could scramble to it, his leg was grabbed again. This time he was thrown backwards into a different wall of crates. These, unlike the others, smashed upon his impact, and he crashed into a heap of something. His leg stung, and when he glanced down through his blurry vision, he saw something sticking out.

Cyrus stalked in with the intention of finishing the Hood off; Oliver was obviously down for the count. His vision was swimming as he fought to stay conscious through whatever drug had been shot into his system. He recognized the symptoms of an overdose immediately; if Cyrus didn't kill him, the drug would. He needed to call for back-up, but his arm wouldn't respond nor would his mouth.

Oliver figured the hallucinations were another part of the drug when an arrow flew from the shadows and nailed Cyrus right in the shoulder. Even in his dazed state, Oliver could see the arrow was black, and if he had been more coherent, he would have thought it was hilarious that Viper was coming to his rescue… and that was his last coherent thought before the darkness claimed him.

Cyrus turned, a snarl behind the mask when three more arrows sunk deep into his flesh. Malcolm stepped from the shadows, dressed head to toe in his League attire, with another arrow notched. He circled Cyrus carefully before he was between Oliver and Cyrus.

The mirakuru-infused man considered the new archer for a brief moment before deciding he had wasted enough time here. Cyrus slowly backed up and left without his prize. Malcolm was sure he'd be back later, but the ex-League member didn't care. He had only intervened when Oliver was practically on his deathbed.

He didn't relax the arrow as he approached Oliver either; he doubted the boy would be happy to see him, and the last time they had spoken, it had been on no uncertain terms- return and die. However when Malcolm noticed the syringe in Oliver's leg and no response, he slung his bow over his shoulder and removed his glove. A brief flash of rage made him consider ending the life of the unconscious vigilante, but he contained it beneath the thin veil he had over his emotions. Since returning to Starling because of Moira then Thea, he had been keeping an eye on Oliver; he had considered that it was another piece he could hold over Moira. If he saved Oliver, then she would be forced to tell Thea about her lineage; he hadn't entirely expected her to go to Ra's al Ghul though. That had complicated matters… especially when he received word that an assassin was in Starling and would be willing to go after Thea. He hadn't gotten the entire message, but he remembered League code well enough to know that there was only one type of assassin that would follow through with that type of threat.

Hunters…

Feeling that Oliver's pulse was weak and thread, Malcolm frowned; whatever had been in that syringe had been bad. He considered tossing the younger archer over his shoulder and taking Oliver to one of his facilities for treatment, but he didn't need to be told how Oliver would react when he woke. Malcolm would have to deal with the baseless threats, the anger… and it wasn't like Malcolm could hold this over the other archer's head; after all, Oliver had saved him last time. This was Malcolm evening the score between them, and maybe getting something else he could use against Moira.

Malcolm reached into Oliver's hood and retrieved the ear piece; there was no way to alert the others without giving away himself away if he spoke. Instead, Malcolm smashed the ear piece in his hand; he figured an abrupt cut-off would be enough to bring Mr. Diggle running.

The Dark Archer stood and casted one last glance at Oliver before taking his leave; however on his way out, he hadn't thought to check to see if Cyrus had pulled out any of his arrows… a single black arrow remained behind.

**Note:** So the episode three ghosts is technically still canon. What happens to Oliver here on out follows the same format as the show, so the next chapter won't have any Ollie in it. Instead, we are going back to the League and see what their up to- which includes Nyssa and Talia. After that, we will jump back to Oliver and crew. From there on out, it will be a complete AU; I might overlap some of the episodes (like Heir to the Demon) but a lot of it will be new.


	7. Heirs

**Chapter 7**

Talia Al Ghul was a woman of simple tastes. She didn't need expensive clothes, jewelry, or extravagance to be content; all she needed was a bit of blood splatter and her target to be begging for their life. It was the way of her world, and there wasn't a single piece of it she would change. The only thing that she occasionally had wished for was that Nyssa had followed her into the hunting life. To Talia, sisters could make the best partners, but Nyssa had shied away from that life.

The reasoning was simple for Nyssa. She didn't mind the blood or the killing; it was the reasons that made her frown and occasionally queasy. Nyssa had watched her father send hunters after men and woman who had left the League for nefarious purposes, and she was thrilled when they got what was coming to them… it was the people that left for reasons like Sara- because of family. There were times Nyssa was sure that the person who ran would even come back, but the hunters never gave them that chance, especially Talia. She loved her sister, but that didn't mean Nyssa liked everything she chose to do.

"Nyssa," Talia said curtly as she walked by. The older Al Ghul sister had been gone for the past three weeks on some target, and she had just returned an hour prior. The blood on her outfit hadn't even been washed off, albeit at least dried on and not fresh. Trailing behind her were two lower League members dragging the unlucky man that had run and subsequently been caught.

"Talia," Nyssa responded as she relaxed her meditation position and stood. She wasn't in the mood to see what her father would do to this unlucky soul; her mind was distracted with the thought that Talia could be sent after Sara. The Canary wasn't that much of a threat to the League, so if any hunters went, it would be one of the three men that ranked lower than Talia and Viper… but she didn't put it past her father to want this taken care of immediately; he had worried about her choice in partner and had made those concerns known. The Canary was unpredictable, he had said, and she had too much of a tie to her old life… and he had been proven right when Sara had run even without a goodbye.

The elder Al Ghul strolled directly into the temple like building. It had been built into the side of the mountain, and it was the main structure for the League. Throughout the mountain, other small dwellings existed where their members could sleep. It kept their compound hidden from the outside world while creating a harsh environment that they could train in.

In the back of the main structure was a single room, too small to be used for training, but the right size for meetings between Ra's Al Ghul and others or punishments for the traitors. It wasn't a throne room; it just happened to be the room that Talia's father lurked in the most. He didn't directly train any recruits anymore, not since his last had turned on him abruptly and had caused damage to the compound. She would have hunted Mr. Wayne down for her father, but Mr. Wayne hadn't completed the final part of his initiation… that meant he was outside her realm since he was not League, and her father had made it known he was off limits to any and all hunters.

"I see you were successful," Ra's Al Ghul said glancing up from some paperwork thrown half-hazard across a table. He caught his daughter's gaze for a moment before he went back to the table. "I am curious as to why you brought him here… alive."

Talia signaled for the two men to drop her prize then sent them away. He stayed on his knees smartly so, but that could have also been in part due to his leg being shattered in four places. Talia had not been kind.

She stepped forward and bowed her head slightly in respect. "It's what he was doing Father. I caught him working with the Chinese Triad," she explained. "He was taking a job from them."

"What was this _job_?" he asked, his tone indicating that he was not thrilled with this development. He had known this runner had gone and tried to become a mercenary with what he had learned, but Ra's had not known that he had gone to the Triad.

"He wouldn't say," she said with a frown. "But I haven't had any real time to question him fully on the matter." She smiled down at the man, the viciousness clear in her grin. She would enjoy taking her time and listening to him scream his secrets.

"Did he complete this job?"

"No," Talia sighed, and this time when Ra's looked up, she could see the order in his eyes. She turned quickly and had taken the man's head off before he had a chance to blink. His death, to her, had been too quick, but she wasn't one to disregard her father's orders. "I could have gotten it eventually." She stared at the twitching body with mild interest.

"Of that I have no doubt daughter," Ra's said approaching Talia. "But I have something for you that will take precedence."

Something more important than a traitor turned mecernary? Talia was immediately curious; she thought about Nyssa's girl for a brief moment before dismissing. The Canary was not that important in the grand scheme of things. She was a good fighter, one of their better ones, but she had run to family. One of the other hunters would take care of her.

"I've already sent Viper ahead," he explained to which Talia made a disgusted face.

"We do not work well together," Talia stated.

"On this, you will," he said with finality. "I've been given word that Malcolm Merlyn is alive and in Starling. I will give Viper some time to deal with this herself, but I want you to be ready to assist."

"You do not think she can complete this?" Talia smirked. Her and Viper did not see eye to eye on practically anything; they avoided each other when at all possible. Hunters trained together, so when they had to be together, a medic was usually on call for whichever of them ended up injured that day.

"I do not doubt her abilities," Ra's responded standing directly in front of his eldest. "I worry about her resolve to do what's necessary."

Talia understood that; it was the one thing they constantly argued about. Viper would kill anyone who was between her and her prey, but if she thought the bloodshed was avoidable, she would do her best to do just that. It was the one reason Talia was a better hunter; she never let anyone stand in her way. She had once kidnapped then killed a man's children and sent the mother the pieces in the mail to get his attention… and she felt nothing for it. Viper, on the other hand, had pointed out the threat had probably been enough.

"I can head to Starling now," Talia said.

"No, not yet," Ra's ordered. He wanted to keep his eldest out of Starling for the moment for numerous reasons. One of the main ones was simply he knew that Viper and Talia did not get along. A fallout from their war could be worse than what Malcolm had done to the Glades. The other big one was he had gotten word that Deathstroke was there, and he didn't want to give the mercenary had hold over him. He knew about the mirakuru, and he also knew that Nyssa was fighting him to go to Starling for the Canary. The last thing he needed was for his more bloodthirsty daughter to go after Slade for the challenge or go after Canary to play with her sister. It just wouldn't end well for anyone, but if he thought Viper was getting the job done quickly enough, he would put his trust in his daughter's restraint. "I am serious Talia. You will stay here until I deem otherwise."

"Then why tell me at all?" she hmmed, but she already knew the answer to that. She never stayed at the League long before she went right back into the field. She did not have idle hands, so when things were slow, she went after the low priority targets or helped other League members on their jobs. If Ra's did not order her to stay here, she could be gone for months at a time.

"As you command master," she said with a bow. "I will stay here for the moment until you are ready to send me to Starling." She did not doubt she would eventually go; Viper was meticulous which could be time consuming. Talia, on the other hand, did not care for the fallout as long as she got her target. If people got in her way, that was their fault and they deserved their deaths.

Nyssa leaned back, hidden amongst the shadows; this moved up her plans. She could not wait much longer if she was going to retrieve Sara. Her sister would not hesitate in killing two birds with one stone, but Nyssa was certain she could convince Sara to return. She would go alone, and hopefully, she could sneak away soon and head to the city.

If Viper showed up… Nyssa would have to pull rank. She wasn't a hunter, but as Ra's Al Ghul's daughter, she could command the hunter to stand down, at least long enough for her to get Sara.

Note: Next chapter Malcolm and Viper cross paths finally. From there, the story actually picks up pace, and the relationship will start to develop with Felicity. Yep everything up until this point was practically intro


	8. Games

**Chapter 8**

Four men dead, and none of it as clean as Viper would have hoped. She had allowed them to track her here in hopes of figuring out who they were exactly, but they had remained silent, save for their screams and pleas. The last few nights besides this had been quiet, and while Viper had given the vigilante and his family their space to think on their upcoming actions, she had become uneasy at the utter lack of the Hood. She didn't like not knowing where her potential allies or enemies where or what they could be doing. Information was utterly important in her line of work; it kept people alive and took the lives of her prey.

Prior to this, Oliver had tried to track her, with no luck of course; instead, she had followed him at a close distance to get a feel of what he was planning. When she saw Sara drop in bo-staff in hand, Viper got the idea relatively quickly. Oliver had no intention of helping her; he wanted to stop her. Viper had to commend his spirit, but he would fail… then last night, he had up and vanished. She had heard about the break-ins, so she had followed a few cops trying to determine if perhaps Oliver had finally been caught… but there was nothing. It was unsettling.

Viper had been planning to go out and track the vigilante down tonight when the four men had begun to follow her. Oliver's disappearance would have to wait as he was not her main concern. If he moved against her, her knowing it would not change the outcome. She would win, plain and simple. Nonetheless, she couldn't imagine why he would choose to fight her when Sara had to have explained to him what she was and could do.

The men in front of her had learned that the hard way. The blood was still wet on her gloves when she heard someone enter the warehouse behind her. She tensed with the knowledge she was no longer alone, but she held her ground. Her bow slipped into her fingers, and she waited until they moved closer for her to take a shot. There was no way she would let them get the drop on her, but she could let them think they were about to.

Hearing the pull of a bow, Viper quickly rolled forward and as she came up, she notched her own arrow and spun. A black arrow was imbedded where she once stood, but she paid it little mind as she rapidly shot two of her own arrows into the darkness. She doubted they found their mark, so she spun behind a pillar to take cover. Two more arrows flew out from the darkness, but again they missed.

Viper crouched down and notched another arrow, one of her more specific types of arrows- one that had a poison coated tip. Poison was usually frowned upon in the League as a coward's weapon, but Hunters were given the okay to use it when they saw fit. Those who broke the code deserved a death just as dishonorable as their own actions. Nonetheless, Viper was the only one to utilize it consistently; she never used fatal poison… just enough to paralyze or terrify her targets. Neuro-toxins did such beautiful work.

"Were you worried I'd touch Thea, Mr. Merlyn?" Viper called out, a smirk on her features. She didn't hear a reply, so she had to give him that. From what she known about him prior was that Malcolm was an egotistical bastard that loved the sound of his own voice. If she could bait him into talking, she would have his exact position.

"If you're curious, I will if I must," she continued checking her surroundings before slowly standing and moving silently to the next metal pillar. "After all, our code does allow for blood to take your place under the guillotine. Do you think she could survive a single lashing before sobbing and begging for her life?" Viper checked around the next pillar, but there was no sign of the other archer. "Actually under my care, I'm sure it wouldn't take long for her to start pleading for me to give the release of death. Not that I could though, not until she'd faced the entirety of your punishment…" Viper found a ladder and moved to the second level of the warehouse. "And what's in store for you will _not_ be over quickly."

There was still nothing, so Viper switched tactics. "Is that why you killed your son?" she asked. "You knew what was in store for you, so you ended his life prematurely. That way I couldn't take him in your place… or was it because he was just that much of a failure? Maybe you don't care that he died alone being a better man than you ever…" she didn't get to finish that sentence when an arrow from below nicked her arm; Viper laughed. She spun and shot her arrow a few feet to the right of where the arrow had come from.

Jumping over the railing, Viper came face to face with her target. Malcolm was dressed head to toe in his league attire, but his hood was down. The anger was evident on his face, and she smiled pleasantly. Her arrow was imbedded in his leg, and he was obviously feeling the effects of her poison. The arrow had missed both the bone and arteries, so he'd live… good.

"Hello Mr. Merlyn," she said with a small bow. "I'm Viper." She turned serious as he yanked the arrow from his body. "Let me make this perfectly clear before _this_ starts," she said indicating to them both. The poison would work fast, but she figured he would still come at her. "This is not a negotiation. You have a single choice in this. Surrender to me and return to Nanda Parbet to face your punishment and death from Ra's Al Ghul or fight me and beg for your death a thousand times over before I finish."

She watched him practically growl at her, and she sighed knowing what was coming next. She ducked the first kick, and slammed her fist right into the wound. The pain caused Malcolm to step back, and she moved in. Viper caught the other archer across the face with her own leg before she caught him in a hold and yanked him over his shoulder. She was trained specifically against archers; there was very little he could do to surprise her. Nonetheless, she avoided his hits as much as possible; she had speed on him, but a well-aimed punch could still flatten her.

"You will not touch Thea," he hissed when he finally got a hand on Viper. He pulled her into a bear hold, but he quickly realized his mistake. Viper had been hoping for that; she pushed her own feet against his thighs. Her heel dug into the wound again, and she pushed off easily breaking the hold. Falling forward, Viper swept her foot under Malcolm, knocking him onto his back. Spinning around, Viper planted herself firmly across his chest, one hand around his throat and the other gripping another arrow. She would knock him out and continue this later…

Malcolm flung his weight back throwing Viper forward and off of him. He began to scramble to his feet when the world lurched; he collapsed back to his knees. Behind him, he heard Viper draw her sword from her back, and while off balanced, he still did the same. Turning on his knee, he slashed at her only for her to dodge and snatch his wrist. She brought her elbow directly down on his arm, and the pain caused him to drop his own weapon. At least she hadn't broken his arm.

"Enough," she hissed, placing the tip of her sword under his cowl. "I'm done playing games."

"You can't kill me," he grinned. He had that one advantage.

"Not yet," Viper purred as she pulled him forward, so he landed sprawled on his stomach. "And the time between that and now will be anything but pleasant." She went to place her knee across his spine; she had half a mind to sever his spinal code to make this that much easier.

Malcolm found it in him to fight past the wooziness and lurched forward out of Viper's reach. He snatched his bow and turned intending to put three arrows in her, but she had already taken cover. Sweat rolled down his forehead, and he checked his leg again as the world began to spin.

Firing two explosive arrows into the ground, Malcolm used the distraction to slip away. Viper emerged from her cover, spots still in her eyes, and beyond furious. She did not use trick arrows, and she had heard the vigilante liked them… she hadn't expected Malcolm to use them; it was her mistake.

Viper wasn't angry; she was furious. He had sent those men after her to try and weaken her or learn what she could do, but he didn't even have enough dignity to finish the fight that he started.

Viper could figure what route he mostly would have taken to escape, but she didn't want to chase a wounded animal. She wasn't going to go to his home territory with more men with guns and fight… no, she would lure him back out, and force him to understand his actions. He had no honor, and she had given him his chance to give up with no casualties. He had thrown that aside, so she would throw aside the code that usually held her in check, the League code… Now, she would fight by the Hunter's code.

It was time to pay Thea Merlyn a visit.

**Note:** So I know in a previous chapter, Viper poisoned Felicity and some of you will be like- wasn't that the hunter's code? It was. The last paragraph mostly means that prior to this she was mostly making threats but not entirely backing any of them up. She's done making threats seem idle; now she wants blood.

For those uber curious about when Felicity becomes in danger… well not all the players are in Starling yet are they? Who's worse Viper or Talia?


	9. Judgement

**Chapter 9**

Oliver woke with a start. The darkness receded from his mind, and the first thing he noticed was that he was tied down. He couldn't be sure who captured him on the Island, but he wasn't about to lie down and just take whatever they had planned. He lashed out, hard, and when he felt a solid hand on his shoulder, he practically barred his teeth… before he realized two people were calling his name, gently and not with the tone of someone intending to cause harm.

While his vision still swam, Oliver found himself not on the Island but in his own Foundry. Diggle had a steady hand on his shoulder, and Felicity was near her computers, her eyes full of concern. Oliver felt terrible if he had frightened her; he had warned them constantly about being near him following a nightmare, or in this case, a near death experience.

"You okay man?" Digg asked to which Oliver forced a nod.

"I'm fine." His memories of the night were hazy, but he remembered the fight with Cyrus. He also recalled losing before passing out; everything else after that was… gone. There wasn't anything except his dream or hallucination in the spans of time he was missing.

Oliver prided him on his senses, and even partially in a drugged state, he could practically feel someone else in the room. His eyes zeroed in to find the Central City forensics scientist, Barry. He was staring at Oliver, mouth stuck between a smile and partially agape. Vaulting from the table, Oliver ignored that he was free and headed straight for Barry. It was only Felicity's timing that prevented him from crossing the entirety of the room; she must have sensed the rage pouring off of him.

"Felicity," he said, tense. "What is he doing here?"

"He saved your life," she said stubbornly. "You were dying! There weren't a whole lot of options."

"You shouldn't have brought him here." The next thing Oliver said came out as a hiss, "That wasn't your choice."

"You showed up in my car bloody and shot. You trusted me," she argued flimsily. "There wasn't a choice. You were either dead… or not."

"I made a calculated choice with you," he continued. "And Diggle. I researched you both before bringing you both into this. Him," he said gesturing to Barry, who had thankfully stayed quiet this entire time. "I know nothing about."

"I trust him," Felicity stated, holding her ground. She met Oliver's glare for roughly three seconds before averting her gaze with the realization he was _that_ angry. The air was alight with tension, and it would take very little to cause it to break and explode.

Sara was intelligent enough to step in now and try and divert Oliver's attention. While she didn't condone what Felicity and Diggle had done, she understood it. With Oliver dying, there really as little choice: hospital or Barry. Thus far, it seemed Barry had been the better option. He wasn't about to go speak with the police, at least it seemed that way.

Oliver could be heard saying, "I don't." Barry was slowing backing up, obviously heading for a quick exit, but Oliver had already turned his gaze on the Central City employee. "Oh no, you're going to stay. We have some things to discuss."

"But first," Sara interrupted stepping into Oliver's line of sight, black arrow in hand. Whatever he had planned to say died on his lips with the sight of the arrow.

Felicity stepped away recognizing that this was important. When Digg and her had found that arrow, they hadn't been sure what to think. After snatching Barry, Felicity had made an amazingly fast call to Sara about what they had found. There was an equal amount of worry about _who_ the arrow belonged to. Sara had assured them that the arrow was actually a standard issue League set, so it didn't necessarily mean the Dark Archer was in fact in Starling… however, they all had a gut feeling over it. Digg and Sara were leaning to trust their instincts while Felicity was just hoping that Oliver wasn't going to bring down the entire Foundry over Barry. She returned to her computer continuing to run traces looking for either Viper or Malcolm.

"I had thought I hallucinated that," Oliver stated taking the arrow from Sara. His eyes ran from tip to tail of it. The last time he had proximity to such an arrow it had been because he had shoved one through his chest. Oliver's mind drifted back to what he had dreamt while unconscious… he knew it had been his subconscious, but he hoped that if Tommy had been alive, he would be proud to see what his friend turned into…

But now, worry began to creep in. Oliver had to admit a League hunter was the last thing he expected on top of everything else going on in Starling. He wasn't sure how he could continue to be a hero when there was no clear choice to make. He could give the League what they wanted, and it wasn't like Malcolm didn't deserve it… but that would practically make him a murderer again. Then again, he doubted that if he challenged Viper, it would be anything but a massacre. The hunter wouldn't lie down and lick her wounds if he won… and the more he heard about the League, the larger that _if_ became.

"Is it Viper's?" Oliver asked breaking his trance. Sara had her hand half way up to touch his cheek; she had seen him daze off. Seeing him back, she dropped her hand and sighed.

"Viper is named as such for a reason," Sara explained. "Poison is her thing… And Felicity found not a trace of anything on this arrow." She casted her gaze over to the IT girl. "We were about to run the shipment number when you woke up… abruptly."

"That's one word for it," Felicity mumbled to herself. When she realized she had been heard, she instantly apologized.

"Felicity," Oliver said hoping to cut off the long winded explanation she was about to give. "Run that shipment number." When she glared, he added, "Please." The last thing Oliver needed was both Viper and Malcolm in Starling fighting over territory. What worried him the most was his family getting caught in the cross-fire; he hadn't realized it but his eyes had unintentionally trailed to Felicity.

The IT girl frowned and turned to face the small group. Oliver placed the arrow on a table and asked, "Did you get what bundle the arrow was a part of? And where it was shipped to?"

"Yes."

"Felicity," Oliver pushed.

"You're not going to like it," she frowned. "It's from the same bundle Malcolm had shipped here. The one he used to lure you to that warehouse to blow you up."

"Yes I remember," he sighed. He turned to Sara needing her input. "Was it left on purpose?"

"It had blood on it," Digg said. "We were lucky we found it."

"So no then," Oliver summarized. He recognized the look in Diggle's eyes. "It wasn't my blood. He didn't shoot me."

"He could have," Digg argued.

Oliver decided not to rile his friend up by stating that Malcolm saved his life. This wasn't entirely the time, and for once, Oliver found it in him to swallow his pride. "But he didn't," Oliver simply said. "Any chance you can track him from the warehouse?" he asked Sara.

"He's well trained," she said. A moment later she added," And it's been too long. There wouldn't be any trace for me to track."

"Um," Felicity interrupted. "There might be a newer tracey thing. Four dead bodies at a random warehouse. Arrows…. Everywhere. And none are obviously yours… since you know, you were here… yep nevermind." She faded off before rattling off the address to Oliver.

Although still weak, Oliver suited up nonetheless. He had to get ahead of this. If luck was on his side, Detective Lance might even be on scene, and he could gleam a large chunk of the information from there. Sara dressed nearby, and while he usually couldn't take his eyes off her, his emotional state was far from ideal. Everything felt raw.

Grabbing his bow, he turned to Barry, "Stay here until I get back."

Barry nodded feverishly and took a seat nearby. With Oliver armed, he wasn't to be trifled with, especially with the mood he was giving off. Sara shot him a sympathetic look but followed Oliver out, Digg not far behind. He wasn't as needed as much with Sara now around, but an extra set of eyes, especially against two League members, wasn't something to ignore.

Malcolm hissed as the needle dug into his skin for the fifth time. The wound on his thigh was just deep enough for stitches, but the poison still racing in his veins was making fixing it incredibly difficult. The toxin had been diluted enough that Malcolm could tell its sole purpose was to incapacitate but not much else. Viper had wanted him aware but unable.

His hand clenched around the needle, part of it dug into his palm to the point blood was drawn. When Moira had called practically in tears and left him a message, he had thought it had been the news he wanted- Thea knowing the truth. He hadn't expected to hear about a hunter, and he hadn't stuck around long enough to hear the entirety of the message. That had been foolish of him; he could admit that now. Moira had told him that it was Viper, but he had run after the hunter without that knowledge.

The ex-League member wasn't sure how to feel about the entire situation. Viper was a problem, but not as much as Talia would have been. Nonetheless, Malcolm could set aside his pride and admit when he was outmatched. He had overestimated his ability and underestimated hers. He wouldn't make that same mistake twice.

He considered his options, very limited options. There wasn't much the elder Merlyn could do. The only way to beat a hunter was to overwhelm them, and on his own… that seemed unlikely, and he wasn't about to just hand himself over.

First things first though, Malcolm had to get Thea to safety. He had already put extra security on Moira, even if Mrs. Queen didn't know it. But his daughter… he had to do that himself. Once he was stitched up, he was planning to head right back out and find her.

**Note:** Next up, poor Thea gets caught in a cross fire, and all archers end up on the same playing field.

To all you reviewers, you guys make me smile. I'm always thrilled to hear you like an OC. I find they can be difficult to accept in some settings, but I'm happy that you all enjoy Viper as much as I like writing her.


	10. Trails

**Chapter 10**

The club blazed with people and lights. It was an exceptionally busy night, and Thea was doing her best to keep up with the orders. Some days, she wondered about her sanity when she took over this place, but those were in the minority. It was hard work running the club, but she loved every second of it… except of course when the place occasionally was attacked by armed gunmen looking to be the vigilante part deux.

Most nights since then, Roy usually wouldn't let Thea out of his sights, but today, the young man was nowhere to be seen. Thea couldn't help but consider the possibility he was getting himself into trouble again. She never meant to think little of him, but it was difficult when he constantly proved those thoughts right.

"Now what did that drink ever do to you?" a voice purred from next to Thea thus snapping the younger Queen from her thoughts. Thea wasn't sure, but she had apparently zoned out on a martini. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. You're Thea Queen are you not?"

Thea took a long look at the woman standing next to her at the bar. For a club, she was seemingly dressed normal but a bit odd. Most girls wore as little as clothing as possible, but this woman was dressed all in skin-tight black. "Yes I am," Thea said trying not to be rude, but she was being cautious. After everything that had happened over the last year and a half, she couldn't help it.

"I'm Alec," the woman replied holding out her hand. "I work, well hope to work, with your brother. I'm one of his future associates."

Hearing that calmed the young woman, and she took Alec's hand with less hesitation. "If you're looking for my brother, he isn't here. Or if he is, I have no idea where he could be."

Alec smiled, and Thea felt the hair on her neck go up. She half considered shouting for security, but she didn't want to cause any trouble for Oliver. Alec titled her head and considered Thea for a brief moment. The younger Queen had grown up in such a short expanse of time; Viper almost felt bad for having to involve the girl. She was still a kid, stumbling through the dark in a world she had no grasp of. To be naïve…

"I wasn't looking for your brother," she smirked. "I was actually looking for you."

It was then Thea felt the cool touch of a blade to the underside of her arm. Viper continued without a moment to waste, "Scream or bring attention to us, and I'll put my blade right through brachial artery. You'll bleed out before an ambulance even has time to be called." Thea went rigid, and she felt Viper move in close and smile against her neck. "Don't worry, you're not my quarry."

"Then what am I?" Thea asked trying to stay brave.

"Bait, young lady," Viper chuckled.

Sara, Digg, and Oliver arrived on scene to see cops had the entire area swarming with detectives. There was an air of uncertainty. Archers seemingly put the SCPD on edge, and Oliver couldn't entirely blame them after the year before.

"Stay here," Oliver said to Digg. "Sara and I will go in through the roof and see what we can find." Digg opened his mouth to argue, but Oliver shook his head. "You could get IDed here."

Sara and Oliver moved away; they stayed in shadows and searched for access to the roof. They found it on a nearby building, and they were able to jump unnoticed onto the warehouse. Quietly, they made their way inside and listened to the officers that were gathering the arrows and blood samples.

"Thoughts?" Oliver whispered to Sara. They were pressed close together in the rafters to the point they could feel the other's heartbeat.

"Viper found her mark," Sara guessed.

Over the comms, Digg answered, elation in his tone, "Maybe we got lucky, and Viper got what she wanted and left already."

"No," Sara disagreed. "She would have cleaned up this mess then. There's no point to leaving bodies like this."

"Besides to show us what she's capable of," Oliver summarized to which Sara nodded with a frown. "Felicity, I need you to try and get the IDs of the men that died here. See if they have any connection to Malcolm Merlyn."

"Oliver," Sara whispered. "I know you don't want to consider this but you should. Viper is going to continue to drop bodies as she needs to. Hanging Malcolm over…"

The emerald archer didn't let Sara finish with a pointed look. It wasn't that he didn't entirely disagree with his girlfriend, but he couldn't exactly call himself a hero if he threw Tommy's father to the wolves. "There's another way," he said echoing his statement from the beginning of the year. He had to try to find a different way…

"Probably," Sara sighed, "But how many people will she kill in the meantime?"

Oliver didn't grace that with an answer; instead, he pointed out Detective Lance. The man was collecting arrows and marking off areas where the arrows struck. He looked to be deep into his work, but a quick commotion outside caused by Digg allowed Oliver to drop down right next to the officer. He jumped back startled and stared at the archer.

"Not your work?" he asked, his eyes trailing to the four body bags.

"No," Oliver stated, his voice masked. "There is another archer in town. Deadlier than Malcolm Merlyn."

"Deadlier?" he exclaimed. "Great, just what this city needs."

"I need a copy of the tox reports," he continued. "From the bodies and any arrows you test."

"Tox screen?" the Detective echoed. He hadn't considered to run any tests on the arrows themselves, but if the vigilante was asking about it, then it was worth spending the time checking the arrows. "Fine, but you need to do something for me."

Oliver considered the Detective, well officer now, and nodded. He was relatively sure what the request would be, but he would let the older man voice his concerns nonetheless. Felicity could have hacked the police database and stole any screens that the police ran, but Oliver valued the partnership he had been forming with Sara's father. When kept in the loop, the Detective was more open to helping especially in the future.

"Leave my baby girl out of this," he said indicating the bodies. He had not seen Sara sitting in the rafters. "Actually leave both my girls out of this. Please."

Oliver frowned and while relatively sure it would become a lie, he answered with, "I will do my best."

"Look your best," Detetctive began again, but Oliver held up a hand.

"Your daughter is… spirited," he answered, the smirk playing on his lips. In his comms, he could practically hear Sara's smile. "I will do my best to keep her uninvolved, but…"

"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "She will probably just involve herself."

The far door to the warehouse opened, distracting Lance for a moment, and when he looked back, the vigilante had already disappeared. There was a lot of risk in helping the archer, but he had seen firsthand of the damage that could be done without the man. He considered the arrow in his hand, and he already knew without a doubt, he'd get that report and leave it at their usual meeting spot. The Detective didn't need to be told when the police were in over their heads anymore.

Up in the rafters, Oliver stood over the edge and watched as the police returned to their spots. The distraction outside forgotten and named as the work of hoodlums. Next to him, Sara was considering every entry and exit point. The police cleaning up the evidence was making it a tad bit more difficult to try and imagine how the fight when down, but the sight of a trick arrow gave her a good indication how the fight ended.

"Can you track them?" Ollie asked.

"I'll have to see what evidence is outside," she answered truthfully, "but I might be able to pick up one of them if they were in a rush to leave."

"Felicity," Oliver began, but the question died on his lips when he heard shouts on the other side of the comms. "Felicity!" he said more urgently. Sara and Oliver quickly returned to the roof while he tried to race his IT girl.

"It's not us Oliver," Felicity finally answered. "It's coming from upstairs. Barry went to go and check it out, but he hasn't…" she trailed off. Running could be heard as well as the sounds of someone on stairs.

Oliver didn't need to be told much more. He was heading back to the Foundry ASAP; tracking the League members would have to wait. He had to get back and help Felicity. The two vigilantes climbed down silently and rushed to where Digg was waiting. He was sweating but otherwise unharmed. His face told a different story as he waited with baited breath for Felicity to say something else.

"Oh god Oliver," Felicity said breathlessly. "I went upstairs… and I… Oliver," she repeated again. "There are dead bodies."

"Felicity, get back down stairs and lock yourself in," Oliver ordered as they ran to their bikes and car.

"But Barry…"

"Do it, Felicity!" he snapped. He was worried about Barry in the way he worried about the other citizens of Starling City, but he wasn't going to risk Felicity. "I need to know you're safe," he added his tone calmer. He didn't need to scare her. "Please." He heard her running back downstairs, and hopefully, she activated the lock down protocol. No one in, no one out… he just had to hope that she hadn't locked whoever was at the club inside with her.

Viper sighed as she surveyed her handiwork. Ten bodies scattered the club while the remaining patrons had rushed outside in a panic. It had been an accident so to speak; Viper had every intention of simply leading Thea Queen from Verdant. Then, four of her friends had swarmed up asking ridiculous questions, and when one spilled a drink on Viper, she had stepped back involuntarily from the wretched liquid which in turn revealed her knife.

The last thing the assassin needed was for a mob to form, so she had dissuaded that idea by dropping bodies rather quickly. Thea stood in the mess, at the eye of the storm, and she looked terrified. Blood was pooling around her shoes, and a few of the people laying around weren't dead just yet. Their pleas for help came out as pathetic gurgles as they choked on their own blood. Viper quietly and efficiently retrieved her throwing knives from each throat before grabbing her bow from behind the staircase. She turned wondering if the younger Queen had taken this opportunity to run, but Thea was frozen in place.

"Now Ms. Queen," Viper sighed. "Will you leave with me, or will I have to drag you?"

Thea looked up but didn't answer. She somehow found it in her to hold her ground though when Viper approached, amusement written across her features. The League hunter was relatively sure that the sudden defiance wasn't born out of bravery but fear. The poor girl was a deer in headlights.

"I'm not going to put a knife in your throat," she smiled as she pulled up the lower part of her mask and drew her hood up. "You're worth much more to me alive Ms. Queen."

"What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice holding strong. Viper stepped over the last dead body and returned to her current prey. Knife in hand, Viper easily took hold of Thea again with little resistance.

"Nothing," Viper sighed. "As I said before, you are bait. I need your father's undivided attention."

"My father's dead!"

Viper stared at Thea sympathetically. "Oh sweetie, have they not told you the truth yet?"

**Note:** Yep I lied, next chapter all the archers end up on the same playing field. I changed the original end of this chapter. It felt too rushed at first, so I spread some of it out. I do enjoy writing fight sequences though, so that one might come out relatively quickly (depends on my muse).  
You guys are great reviewers.

One of you asked for a Viper/Oliver one shot; it's a possible scenario, but not at the current moment in this fic. They're on way too opposite of sides, but… I can't say much else without spoiling anything. This fic is still an endgame of Felicity/Oliver.


	11. Innocence

**Chapter 11**

As much as Oliver wanted to rush back to Verdant, arrow notched, he had to be careful. There had been mass hysteria outside, so the police would already be there. Oliver Queen would be expected to show up to his club after such an event, not the vigilante. He had to ditch his costume halfway back to the Foundry; the entire time, his mind swirled with the worry that Felicity wasn't safe.

Sara chose to keep her mask and to watch for any suspicious activity outside. This included watching Oliver enter his club once a police officer escorted him. Her father wasn't on scene, and she was grateful he was busy elsewhere. She did not want him anywhere near a League hunter. Their bending of rules meant her father could easily be caught in the crossfire and killed as a result. She couldn't risk that or her sister; Sara would prefer to die before letting harm come to her family… and she could tell by the haunted look in Oliver's gaze that he had similar feelings about his own family.

Inside the club, there was little to no damage. There hadn't been a fight, but as Oliver stared at the bodies, their blood dried to the floor, he felt it would have been better for the club to have burned down instead. He sought out an officer quickly, but they ignored him telling him to wait for a Detective.

"Oliver," Barry gasped appearing from basically nowhere. He had hidden when the screaming had started, and he had seen everything that had happened. When Felicity induced the lock in, he had been unable to return to the Foundry. "We need to talk."

"Unless you saw what happened here," he said tersely.

"I did," Barry countered. "She took Thea and killed all these people."

"She?" Oliver asked, fear blossoming in his chest.

"Yes a brunette, dressed in black, had a bow," Barry explained. "She dropped the bodies with throwing knives. It was… intense."

"Sara," Oliver said breathlessly into his comm. "Viper took Thea."

"I don't understand though," she replied. "Why Thea? This won't ensure your cooperation."

"More like the opposite," he hissed as he ordered Felicity to lift the lock down and headed for the basement. Both Diggle and Barry followed. "See if you can find a trail," he continued speaking to Sara. She didn't respond, but she didn't need to; she was already hard at work looking for any sign of where the League hunter could have taken Thea

...

"What did you mean about my Father?" Thea practically demanded, tear streaks evident on her face. She was tied to a chair in the middle of some abandoned building in the Glades. She had been blindfolded when brought here, so she didn't know much beyond that. However her larger concern was the assassin in front of her looking oddly bored. "Stop ignoring me!"

"Are you always this hysterical Ms. Queen?" Viper sighed as she ended a call she had made using Thea's phone. There was no point in taking the girl if Malcolm couldn't find them. Nonetheless, Viper needed to speed things up. She didn't want to wait all night, not when the man was probably still sore and hurting from their earlier fight. This would be the time to attack. Pulling out her own phone, she dialed Mrs. Queen and waited patiently.

"Hello Mrs. Queen," Viper said cheerfully when the woman picked up. "I do hope you remember me."

"Mom!" Thea cried from nearby.

On the other end of the phone, Moira could hear her daughter's cries. "You said you wouldn't touch her if I helped you!" she said accusingly.

"Well plans had to change," Viper explained. "He wasn't being very cooperative, so I'm going to force his hand."

"Don't you dare touch Thea!" Moira hissed. "Don't you…"

She hadn't finished the sentence when she heard Thea scream in pain. Viper pulled the knife from Thea's leg and wiped the blood clean of the blade. She had purposefully missed all major arteries; a few stitches and the girl, now sobbing, would be fine.

"I'd suggest you call Malcolm," Viper said hanging up abruptly. She knelt down to the younger Queen and tied a ligature around the leg. "I do apologize Ms. Queen, but sadly, people move much quicker when their family is not only in danger but in pain." Thea sniffled and stared at the blood dripping down her pant leg. "Unless Malcolm doesn't show, you won't be harmed further," Viper promised pulling a syringe from her quiver. "This will help with the pain."

"What does this have to do with Malcolm Merlyn?" Thea hissed. Her pain was blinded by the questions she had to ask, and Viper had to give the girl credit for such strength. The girl would have been a good recruit if her brother's skill was anything to judge potential by.

"Well Ms. Queen," Viper said standing. "You are actually Ms. Merlyn." The assassin saw no reason to hide such a fact; the girl had a right to know why she was now bleeding and in pain, albeit reduced.

...

"Oliver," Felicity said as she typed furiously. "Thea's phone just had an outgoing call." She worked hard to triangulate the signal.

"Why Thea?" Digg asked aloud. "This has to be a trap."

"Doesn't matter," Oliver growled. "That was her last mistake." He had barely tolerated Viper touching Felicity, and he had wanted the assassin out of his city for that… but now that she had touched his sister, he wasn't entirely sure he could adhere to his code. He wanted to put Viper six feet under permanently.

"I can't find anything out here," Sara said into the comms.

"I was able to get the signal to within a five mile radius," Felicity said handing Oliver the general vicinity Thea's phone had last been used.

"Don't do anything stupid man," Digg said trying to calm the enraged Oliver.

"I'm not," he said calmly.

"What are you going to do then?" he asked as Oliver headed back to the first floor of Verdant.

"End this!"

Digg didn't follow as much as he wanted to. He knew Oliver would want him to stay and keep an eye on Felicity and now Barry. The poor kid looked frightened or at least shocked by everything that had just occurred in a few hours' time.

"What's the plan?" Sara asked once Oliver joined her on the roof. He had taken a bit longer to leave the club then he would have liked. Officers had wanted to talk with him and reassure him about his sister, and he felt pride for not hitting one in his haste to leave.

"We do this your way," he said simply, and Sara didn't need to be told what that meant.

...

Thea had adamantly denied her relation to Malcolm, practically accusing Viper of lying. She didn't believe her mother would keep such a secret, but Viper hadn't argued. She had shrugged off the conversation and made it clear that the younger Queen wasn't leaving until Malcolm showed up.

"But he won't!" she cried. "I'm not his daughter."

"You should hope for your sake that you are," Viper finally hissed dragging the chair Thea was in to the side of the warehouse. She grabbed her bow and headed to the second floor. She wanted the best possible position to flank her prey. She briefly wondered who to expect first: Oliver or Malcolm. She doubted the Queen scion would just ignore what Viper did, and the assassin knew that she had cut any possible chance of Oliver helping her. Nonetheless, some doors had to be closed to open others. He had his chance to help and prevent this; instead, he had dropped off the map for two days.

Viper hadn't needed to wait long before one lone archer entered the building. Merlyn's costume was distinct, and the assassin smiled to herself. Family was always a good motivator. She hoped she could have this mess cleaned up before Oliver arrived; it wasn't that she didn't think she couldn't take the emerald archer. She just wanted to finish this up quickly. No point in fighting the other archer if there was no need, and once she was out of his city, Thea hurt or not, he'd probably drop his anger eventually.

"You should have surrendered to me Malcolm when I gave you the chance," Viper called out. "You forced me to involve your daughter."

"I'll…" Malcolm started, his eyes searching the rafters for the assassin. The moment though his gaze found Thea, tied up, and bloodied, he almost lost his composure. Somehow though his haze of rage, he notched and arrow and began to make his way over to his terrified daughter. She didn't calm at the sight of him either.

"Get away from me!" she growled.

"Family love," Viper tsked. "I can feel it from here." She set her sights on Thea and not Malcolm. "Let me make this clear Merlyn, I have a clear shot at Thea's heart from here. If you'd prefer I didn't take it, drop your bow and kick it away." She watched as the ex-assassin hesitated. The teachings of the League were ingrained in them all- never lose your weapon. "I won't miss," she added, "and I won't hesitate if you delay any longer." Viper did not need the girl alive to capture Malcolm, and the man seemed to realize this as well as he dropped the arrow and tossed his bow away. "I'm glad to see you are still capable of following orders," she continued but didn't leave her vantage point just yet. "Now drop all your fancy throwing knives."

Malcolm tightened in anger, but he didn't see an opening yet to protect Thea and himself. "You shouldn't have touched her," he hissed as he emptied his League outfit of knives and his sword. He tossed it all away.

"You forced my hand," she repeated.

"You're pathetic," he growled. He had never been fond of the hunter's code, especially when he had been in the League. "You have no honor in the League," he asked hoping to anger the assassin.

"Says the man that caused a city to collapse onto innocent people," Viper chuckled. "On your knees, hands behind your head." She knew he could be quick, and she highly doubted he relieved himself of every weapon.

"They were not innocent! They deserved it," he said, teeth clenched as he followed Viper's orders. "Thea doesn't."

"They did not!" Thea gasped. "There were families in the Glades. Good people." She stared in shock at the sight of Malcolm Merlyn on his knees following Viper's orders just to protect her. She couldn't deny that he at least thought of her as his, but the thought of that actually being possible made her nauseous.

Viper dropped from her vantage point, her arrow now pointed at Malcolm's throat. She stepped slowly and carefully; her gaze locked onto him. She didn't want to miss any subtle moves he might try to escape the fate he had in store. "You deserve nothing but the most painful death imaginable for breaking the League's code," she said touching the tip of her arrow to Malcolm's throat. Her gaze shifted to Thea for a moment, and gone was the fear. In its place was disgust, but it wasn't directed towards Viper but Malcolm. "I will cut you lose in a moment Ms. Queen. I thank you for your help in this matter."

Malcolm lunged forward in an attempt to wrestle the bow away, but Viper danced away. A second later, an arrow sliced across Thea's arm. Blood oozed from the wound, and she cried out in pain. At that Malcolm stopped and stared at the sight of his daughter crying in pain.

"Stop doubting my resolve Malcolm," she growled, anger evident in her gaze. "If you continue to press me, I will put an arrow through every extremity of hers before I even turn my gaze onto you." Malcolm could hear the truth in her voice and dropped back to his knees. He had already lost one child because of his selfishness; he wouldn't risk Thea again.

"Do whatever you want to me," he said. "Just let her go." Gone was the anger and in its place desperation.

"I'm glad that we are finally on the same page," Viper said with a smile. "I do apologize for that Ms. Queen." She reached into her pocket and removed zip ties, industrial strength. Even if Malcolm did have the ability to break them, it would take time. "Put two of these around your ankles, then two around your wrists." She notched another arrow. "Speed would be appreciated." She wasn't sure how much longer she had until Oliver appeared, and as Malcolm moved to bind his feet, she heard the telltale signs of someone dropping into the warehouse.

Deciding an armed opponent was more dangerous, she spun away from Malcolm and shot her arrow into the dark. As she did so, Sara dropped from the rafter, bo-staff in hand. Viper rolled away to miss the first strike, but the second one, caught her across the face.

"I didn't leave much of a trail," Viper commented touching her sore face. "I must wonder how you found me so quickly." She eyed up the ex-assassin and Nyssa's lover. She could put an arrow into the woman and be done with it, but she had promised Nyssa to try and avoid just that. "Walk away," she stated. "This will be your only chance."

"That's what you should have done," Oliver growled shooting three arrows in quick succession, but Viper ducked out of the way and returned fire. From the corner of her eye, she watched as Malcolm rushed over to Thea and cut her loose.

Annoyed, Viper stood and rushed Oliver. Against another archer that had back-up, it would be best if she kept the distance to a minimum. She ducked as Oliver tried to take her head off with his bow, and she kicked out one of his knees. She moved to catch his face in a right hook, but she had to spin away when Sara joined the fray.

Dropping her bow, Viper caught the bo-staff and flipped Sara over her head before blocking Oliver's next punch. She kicked high and hit Oliver in the chest, and she moved in to try and continue getting in three solid punches. She tripped Oliver, but before she could take advantage of such a situation, Sara grabbed her from behind. Viper sighed and thrust her elbow back with a force that could have broken ribs; the Canary stumbled away. Jumping up, Viper planted both of her feet into Sara's chest and kicked her away.

The hunter hit the concrete but quickly recovered in time to land a kidney shot to Oliver's exposed side. She climbed up his form and wrapped both legs around his neck. Using her momentum, she flung him forward and onto his back. She quickly rolled with her own attack, and retrieved her bow and notched an arrow. She shot at Oliver's back, but he moved just in time. While not having formal training, he was holding his own; Viper had to respect him for that. She hadn't thought he'd last even this long in an assassin fray.

"Stop protecting him," Viper hissed. She would give him another chance to back out of this; she had seen enough of him to know he had been trained with a code as well.

"I'm not protecting him!" he growled as they crossed their bows. The carbon frames shook with the force, but before Viper could move away, Sara caught her arm with the staff. Viper hissed and ducked the additional attack. She dropped and using a throwing knife caught Sara in the side. The Canary didn't show the pain, but she moved away.

Viper notched an arrow quicker than Oliver could and placed it to his chest. While he was on his feet, she had the advantage of the ground with the clearer shot. The arrow would pierce his heart and he'd be dead almost instantly. "Then I guess this is where we part ways Mr. Queen," she sighed, but before she could release the arrow, her bow was knocked away by another arrow.

Viper glanced back to the entrance of the building to see Malcolm standing there, bow in hand. She hadn't expected that; while she had threatened his daughter, she would have figured a dog like Malcolm would get his daughter to safety then run away with his tail between his legs. After all, it was what he had done earlier, but obviously, he had stuck around. She couldn't be sure if the reasoning was revenge or the urge to help his daughter's brother. And in the end, she didn't exactly care. Her prey was still here and obtainable.

Three against one? She had been trained against worst odds then that.

**Note:** And on it goes. So you can see the AU here massively. Thea's fallout from the discovery won't be for at least two chapters, and I won't say how she reacts. Very similar situation to Slade, but this time, Oliver didn't know the truth yet either… So guess you'll have to wait and see. Also upcoming is a version of the heir to the demon and even Talia, but obviously that's not what happens next chapter Enjoy


	12. Memory

**Chapter 12**

Viper considered talking with Oliver and pointing out that if he turned his bow on Malcolm she would be gone in no time; however based on the fact the archer had an arrow pointed towards her throat, she doubted he was in the mood to deal. It was unsurprising considering she had touched his sister; he might have dealt with her prior but not after her hurting his family. She would have felt bad if it hadn't gotten her what she wanted.

"Are you going to kill me Mr. Queen?" she asked watching his gaze and hands carefully. She would be able to read if he was about to end her life, and she could respond appropriately. From the corner of her eye, she could see Malcolm notching another arrow and practically stalking towards them. He would kill her; Viper could see that written across his face.

Viper lunged up and moved her head to the side as she grabbed Oliver's bow and pulled down. The arrow nicked her cheek, but otherwise, she was unscathed. Throwing Oliver forward, she rolled and was able to snatch her bow in time to deflect Malcolm's next arrow.

Standing, Viper watched as Oliver and Malcolm considered each other for the briefest of seconds before both of them had arrows aimed at her. Sara stood with them, and Viper frowned in agitation. She had wanted Oliver to be her ally not Malcolm's, and the sight of both archers standing against her put her blood into a boil. Here was a man that killed five hundred plus people, and she was the bad guy.

"You really didn't like the fact I touched Thea?" Viper asked Oliver, but Malcolm responded by shooting another arrow. She rolled forward and fired off two of her own arrows. When Sara moved in, Viper was silently thankful. She doubted Oliver would risk the bird, so he'd stop trying to shoot her… It gave her an advantage as she didn't care what happened to any of the three now. Nyssa would be angry with her, but Viper wasn't about to let Sara kill her just to soothe Al Ghul's youngest.

With a kick across the face, Viper sent the Canary reeling, and Oliver got in close again. He caught her in a choke hold, and his superior strength kept her from easily slipping the hold. Her eyes widened when she noticed Malcolm was about to put an arrow into her chest and probably Oliver's too if she kept struggling. Pushing hard backwards, she was able to force Oliver to stumble but not release her; however with his balance off, she was able to then lean forward. The arrow struck her hard in her left shoulder, but she could tell it missed all major arteries. It hurt but she'd live.

Throwing her head back, she caught Oliver in the nose and was finally able to break free. She quickly snapped the arrows shaft and tossed it aside. Grabbing an arrow from her quiver, she threw it with precision and hit one of Malcolm's hands. His bow clattered from his grip.

Hissing from pain, she went to pull her bow when the entire world shift, and she stumbled. She righted herself barely in time to miss another arrow but not in time to miss Oliver's kick to her sternum. She fell back and tried to shake her head clear. Ignoring the pain, she ripped the arrow head from her shoulder and grimaced when she realized Malcolm had actually shot her with one of her own arrows.

Suddenly, she was seeing two of everything as she took a knee, and Oliver stopped his attack. He regarded the downed assassin and kept an arrow on her, but he didn't kill her. She had touched his sister, but he had found it in him to honor his code. He'd be nothing without it; he'd be exactly what Tommy called him, and that's what stayed his hand. After everything he had gone through, Oliver's rage was tempered by the fact he could end this fight without ending her life. He could be better, for Tommy and for himself. He believed it wholeheartedly, and while Tommy's memory had given him the original push to be a hero, Oliver had come to realize that's what he, himself, also wanted and not just for and because of Tommy.

"You should have killed me," Viper grinned reaching into her quiver for a syringe slowly. She always carried the antidotes for situations such as these, and she didn't waste any time injecting it into her side, out of sight from Oliver and the others. It would take a moment for the effects of the poison to ebb, but she wasn't dead yet.

"Don't worry," Malcom growled approaching the downed assassin, "I have no qualms about killing you."

Viper purposefully let him get in close before she drove her fist directly into his injured leg, and when he stumbled, she caught his chin with her elbow. With a quick follow-up, she wrapped one arm around his neck and tossed him over her head, and then, she was back on her feet like nothing had happened.

"Always kill your opponent when given the chance," Viper stated remembering that lesson well from the League. Any potential hunter had to go through trials as they aged. Failure at any stage of training could and most likely would result in death.

The three clashed again, and while injured, Viper had seen enough of their fighting techniques to compensate and go completely on the offensive. She caught Oliver across the face with her bow, Sara in the stomach with a well-placed kick, and while she didn't directly hit Malcolm, she was able to force him on the defensive and to step away.

As intense as the fighting had been, it came to an abrupt stand still when police sirens could be heard approaching. Viper had an arrow aimed at Oliver and he had one aimed at her in turn. The police could be heard kicking in the doors, and their shouts died on their lips at the sight of three archers and the Canary.

"I'm disliking having to delay this again," Viper hissed as she glanced over her shoulder to see the police, guns raised. "Remember that warning I gave you Mr. Queen. I can and will go after your family if I must. I'll excuse tonight as I did go after your sister, but if you help _him_," she hissed quietly looking to Malcolm. The rest of the threat didn't need to be said, and she dropped to her knees and spun. She put three arrows into officers before Oliver could even try to hit her with one. He hadn't expected her to go after the cops.

Sara's eyes went wide as she watched her father take an arrow to the chest, and it was only Oliver snatching her that kept her from running to him. In her distraction and Oliver's, Viper slipped away. She wanted Malcolm's head, but three dead police officers were enough. She didn't want to have to kill the entire contingent, so another time it was.

At least tonight had been educational; Viper had never trained with Canary, so she had been unsure what the girl was capable of. Then there was Oliver, who was a complete mystery with who and how he was trained. She had seen enough of his technique though to know the best way to counter it, and she knew his code. He wouldn't kill her; it wasn't in him. She could bet and would that if she had killed Thea, he would have fought that much more brutally, but in the end, his code would have prevented him from taking her life… that was good and useful to know.

Perhaps, it was time she returned to Slade and had another conversation with him… For now, she would hold off on that, but she would if Oliver did end up protecting Malcolm. She couldn't have that. Nonetheless for now, she had to look over her shoulder; there was no major damage, but it was uncomfortable to pull her bow. The arrow had hit some muscle tissue, and she needed to wrap and stitch it as needed. She didn't need her bow, but as an archer, she enjoyed the fight more if she took down other archers with her bow.

Oliver and Sara took to the rafters as police opened fire. She kept glancing back down, worry written across her features; her father was moving and looked livid and frightened. He could see her, but with Oliver dragging her to the roof, she couldn't let him know she was alright. They reached the roof together, and they would have kept running if Malcolm hadn't been standing there as well.

"Merlyn!" Oliver snarled raising his bow. He shot off one arrow which Malcolm caught with ease.

"Don't you learn?" Malcolm snorted dropping the arrow before looking down and seeing a dart catch him in neck. He gave Oliver one incredulous look before dropping.

"Actually I do," Oliver sighed. "Help me." He looked to Sara, and while she didn't look thrilled, she nodded.

"Where are we taking him?"

"Back to the Foundry. He's no good to us in police custody, and I doubt Viper would hesitate in killing everyone at Iron Heights to get to him," he explained. He was emotionally exhausted at this point. A lot had happened in one night, and he still had to go after his sister and make sure she was okay. She looked fine when Malcolm got her from the building, but he had been a bit distracted. He also needed to question her to see why Viper had snatched her.

"Diggle and Felicity will be thrilled," Sara muttered as she helped Oliver haul the unconscious Malcolm to the edge of the roof. The police could be heard shouting and calling for air support. The two vigilantes had to make a quick escape or risk lock-up, and that would do the city no good. "I hope you know what you're doing," Sara said referring to Malcolm.

"So do I," he whispered.

**Note:** I'm too nice to you guys. I keep adding chapters at a daily pace, and I swore I said in the beginning this was a once a week sort of thing. Oh well… The next chapter won't be out tomorrow (most likely) as I want to write a few chapters together first.  
For those wondering, yes this will eventually incorporate the season 2 finale, but I won't reveal how it will . I already know how this ends, but at least, we finally arrived at the place where perhaps Malcolm and Oliver can get over the past against a common enemy. Let me know what you think :P


	13. Heritage

**Chapter 13**

"Are you guys okay?" Felicity asked swarming both Sara and Oliver as they entered the Foundry; however, her questions of concern quickly vanished on her lips at the sight of an unconscious Malcolm Merlyn. "What is he doing here?"

"You worried us with comm silence," Digg said approaching, obviously not hearing what Felicity said last. His eyes widened at the sight of Malcolm being dragged down the stairs between the two vigilantes. "Is Thea okay?"

"He got her out of there," Oliver explained as he hoisted Malcolm against a shoulder and pointed out a chair for Sara to fetch. As soon as it was close enough, he dropped the dark archer into it and worked to restrain him to it. Oliver understood his own limits and used those as a basis for how tight to make the bindings and how to do it in a way that would be near impossible to break out of. Sara helped silently, and Oliver didn't need to be told that she was not thrilled with this current arrangement. This man had almost killed her sister after all.

"Why Thea?" Barry asked.

"You need to get out of here," Oliver growled standing and pulling his hood back. He tossed his bow unceremoniously onto the table and began to strip himself of his clothes. He had to get back into a suit and figure out where Thea was; his best guess was a hospital or police station. Either or didn't matter; he had to be there with her.

"He saved your life," Felicity said, suddenly ignoring the Malcolm to persist on Barry's matter.

Oliver pursed his lips and sighed to Barry, "Thank you." He gave Felicity a forced smile before saying, "Now leave."

"But," Barry started.

Oliver glared at the boy. "Do you know who that is?" he asked pointing to Malcolm. "You don't want to be here when he wakes up. If he thinks you have something to do with what I do, he might try to kill you if you get free."

"Which is precisely why we are keeping him in our base," Digg couldn't help but comment.

"Not right now," Oliver growled. "I need to go check in on Thea then you can berate me."

"Is this really safe?" Felicity asked, her gaze drawn back to the dark archer.

"I wouldn't have brought him here if I didn't think we couldn't contain him," he explained staring at Felicity. He calmed long enough to give her an actual smile. "I wouldn't put you…" he looked to the rest. "Any of you in danger."

"Well you put us in danger a lot," Felicity argued. "Vigilante business isn't exactly safe. We've been shot out, threatened, city dropped on us…" she trailed off.

"I wouldn't put any of you in danger directly like that," Oliver elaborated as he tossed his hood and top away. He stepped out of sight to slip from his pants though.

"I can't stay to watch him," Sara said, doing the same as Oliver. She had to change back into civilian clothes. "My dad was one of the ones hit with Viper's arrow."

"No, it's fine," he nodded. "But I need you back here as soon as you are able."

Somehow, Sara miracously was done first, and she was practically sprinting up the stairs. Her phone was in hand, and she was calling Laurel to figure out what hospital her father was taken. Oliver stepped back onto the main floor of the Foundry, dressed in his suit, and as much as he wanted to run like Sara had, he contained himself long enough to approach Felicity and Diggle.

"I hit him with a tranq," Oliver explained. "He'll be out for at least another fifteen." Pointing to a cupboard, Oliver continued, "There are more sedatives in there. Try to keep him under until I get back."

"If Sara gets back before you?" Digg asked with a nod.

"Keep him under still," he answered with a frown but no hesitation. Felicity met his worried gaze, and he touched her shoulder reassuringly. "I don't…" he began, but Digg was exceptional at reading his teammate.

"You don't trust her judgment," he finished to which Oliver nodded. "You think she would hand him over to Viper without consulting you first?"

Oliver had already crossed to the stairs by the time Digg asked this. Barely casting a look over his shoulder, he answered completely truthfully, "He did try to drop a city on her sister." Behind him, he heard Barry saying his goodbyes to Felicity; he doubted it was a permanent goodbye though. At least, the Central city inhabitant would be safe if he was out of the Foundry. Oliver couldn't be sure what Malcolm would do when he awoken. As it was, Oliver wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do when his rival woke up either.

After one call to his mother, Oliver found Thea had been taken to the hospital for minimal wounds and blood work. The entire ride over on his bike, his knuckles were blitzed white from the tension of gripping the handles. He didn't regret not killing Viper per say… he regretted that he hadn't been able to protect his sister better. It was hard to ignore that if he had tried to take Viper out the day she showed up to his office, this might not have happened. Then again from what he knew of the League, he doubted Viper's death would have been any dissuasion. The League would have sent another then another, and they would even now. Oliver wasn't sure if he could take on the entire League; he would to protect Sara. To protect Diggle. To protect Felicity… but he wasn't convinced he could find it in him to do it for Malcolm Merlyn. Tommy's father or not.

Perhaps the best course of action was to force Malcom from the city again. That would get Viper out of his city as well and make the entirety of the problem not his issue anymore. He cared about Starling, and its inhabitants. He didn't consider Malcolm part of that group. He had only kept him alive thus far to keep hold to his promise to Tommy. Still, it was oddly tempting to put an arrow through his chest and be done with it.

All of these thoughts left Oliver's head though when he arrived at the hospital and sprinted to his sister's room. He was expecting a hysterical Thea, not his mother banished to the hallway. Moira looked apologetic and wouldn't explain to Oliver why she wasn't allowed in, only that Thea was not happy.

"Why is Mom outside?" Oliver asked pushing into his sister's room. She had a bandage on her arm and leg, but otherwise looked unharmed. It was a relief to see that Thea was seemingly coping with being kidnapped again. "Thea are you okay?" he quickly added when he realized he probably hadn't asked the right question first.

"I'm fine and I don't want to see that lying bitch," she snarled. Oliver steeled his face and took a seat on her bed.

"You're in shock," he sighed, and he thought of ways to make Viper's life unpleasant.

"No I'm not," she laughed humorlessly. "I don't care that I was kidnapped. I don't care what that woman did to me!"

Oliver tried to calm her, but she wasn't having it. She pulled away and almost yanked her IV out, so he stilled himself. He didn't want to cause her any pain, and seeing her in this state was unsettling. Something more had obviously happened to her while in Viper's care. For once, Oliver actually wished that Harper kid was around; he helped Thea when she was in emotional turmoil like this.

Sara was relieved to know her father was okay, and that Laurel would spend the night in the hospital with him. She wanted to stay as well, but with the situation back in the Foundry, she couldn't afford to be away. Viper was intelligent; it wouldn't take the assassin long to discover the Foundry's location. Prior to this, the assassin probably didn't care, but she had to know that Oliver had Malcolm now. She'd come for him; her training dictated that she had too.

Sara was thankful that Viper wasn't here for her, but she worried about Oliver. He wasn't thinking entirely rationally about the situation, and she didn't blame him for it. She had heard the rumors when she was with the League- the ones about the vigilante. How he excelled at dropping bodies and getting criminals to do what he wanted. At first, a lot of the League had thought it was one of their runaways doing the work, and then, the second theory had been it was Malcolm under the hood.

When Sara had arrived in the city and learned the truth about Oliver, she hadn't known what to think. She found it oddly amusing how similar their lives had ended up- both of them were killers and both trying to right wrongs. However that had been before the earthquake. Now, Oliver's life and mission were dissimilar. He fought not to change what his father did but to do better by the city and avoided killing. The latter Sara could live without; death had its advantages. If you were dead, you couldn't do damage, and no one came looking for you.

To Sara, Malcolm Merlyn should have stayed dead.

"Thea," Oliver started again, but she interrupted.

"She didn't live in fear under him," she growled accusingly, and she watched as Oliver's face while usually closed off from emotions was far more open this time. Confusion dominated, and that helped to alleviate some of the emotional pain Thea was feeling. It was one thing for her mother to lie to her, but to think Oliver might have as well? It would have been too much for the younger Queen.

"Thea, what are you talking about?"

"Malcom Merlyn," she frowned.

"What does this have to do with him?" He hadn't considered that Viper had taken Thea for any other reason other than to hurt him.

"Everything," she practically sobbed. "I didn't want to believe it, but he came for me. When she took me, he came and was ready to let her kill him… to protect me."

"I don't," he began, but she was far from over.

"That woman who kidnapped me," she explained. "She took me to bait Mr. Merlyn. Mom's been lying to us Ollie." He took her hand in his. Tears ran down her cheeks. "Dad wasn't dad…"

She trailed off and didn't need to finish for Oliver to put two and two together. He squeezed her hand but was unable to speak. He had never considered such a possibility, and he didn't know how to make this better.

"He came for me," Thea sniffed. "He came and saved me." There was a pause before she finished with, "I'm the daughter of two mass murderers."

Oliver couldn't help but think _and the sister to the Arrow_. There just weren't any words to fix this if it was true. A DNA test would confirm, but as much as Ollie wanted to not believe the accusations, he doubted Viper would have done this otherwise. Without saying a thing, Oliver found a way to fit on the bed with Thea and he just pulled her tight against his chest and held her. He held her through it all.

"Do you think she killed him?" Thea eventually asked, her voice raw.

"Do you hope she did?" he asked. He needed to know this.

Thea paused, and she shook her head against his chest. "He saved me… he came for me," she repeated.

Oliver closed his eyes and tried not to consider how much more this mucked things up. If Thea began to see Mr. Merlyn as her father in any way shape or form, how could Oliver rip that away from her? If he handed Malcolm over, he'd be killed. If he tossed Malcolm from the city, the ex-League member would surely be caught then killed by Viper. Oliver could only hope that whatever emotional connection that Thea was feeling currently towards Malcolm was gratitude and not anything else. A parental bond was deep, and Malcolm had already done a good job to establish it by showing up to stop Viper.

"He's my father," Thea repeated more to herself than anything. Oliver just continued to hold her and tried to think of a way to stop Viper. Thea snorted, "How screwed up is our family?"

**Note:** No real action, so sorry for that. Occasionally the fighting has to stop so people can converse like normal people that don't run around in spandex and masks. Next up, we'll actually hear from a conscious Malcolm and how thrilled he is with Team Arrow.  
I noticed (via review) that I forgot to elaborate on that cop scene last chapter since Viper said 'Mr. Queen'. I should have added that they were fighting long out of earshot of the cops. She said it not to reveal Oliver's identity, but because she isn't going to call him hood. So no the cops still don't know.  
Finally, I'm sure there are some questions about Roy since he hasn't exactly made an appearance in this. There's a reason- I'm not sure what to do with him. I wasn't entirely thrilled with his power arc in the show, and I haven't decided if I want to pursue that in this or do what I'm sort of doing with Laurel (mentioned but not really there).  
Anyway, hope y'all enjoying the ride. Anyone want to fathom a guess (one I won't confirm) what Sara is planning


	14. Truth

**Chapter 14**

"Please Mom, tell me what Thea is saying isn't true," Oliver pleaded with Moira. After everything his family had been through, he wasn't sure if Thea could handle this discovery. To think your father was dead, gone for five years, but only to discover, he never actually left. Mr. Merlyn had been a family friend for the entirety of both Oliver and Thea's lives, and while he didn't show it, it had crushed Oliver the night he discovered that Malcolm had been in on the Undertaking and actually led it.

"Oliver as you know your father wasn't always faithful," Moira started, but she didn't need to go on when Oliver's face broke with the realization that yes it was true.

"Am I at least Robert Queen's son?" he said, accusation evident in his voice. He wasn't sure how he'd feel if he discovered he wasn't. He had spent the last part of the year trying to avenge and right his father's wrongs. However, he didn't dwell on that long as he knew the answer before the thought had even left his mind. Robert Queen had raised him, saved him, and then died for him. That man was his father.

"Oliver," Moira snapped. "Of course you are. It was a onetime…" she trailed off with a frown. "I am not always proud of my actions, but I did not betray your father more than once."

"Thea isn't going to see it that way," he frowned as a doctor approached. The prognosis was as expected: full recovery on the physical end but psychologically, the doctors couldn't be sure. Being kidnapped then used as a pin cushion could have some adverse effects, and while Oliver knew he couldn't put off the situation at the Foundry much longer, he wasn't about to leave his sister in this raw emotional state either. Malcolm would have to wait.

Sara wasn't entirely surprised when she returned to the Foundry and Oliver wasn't back yet. Thea had clearly been traumatized by the entire situation, and if it had been Laurel, Sara wouldn't have left either. It had only been with her father's assurances that he'd be okay that allowed her to return as early as she did.

Since the club was a crime scene, Sara had to take the back entrance and try avoid being spotted by the horde of police still meandering about. At least all the bodies had been removed, so that was something. Nonetheless, the travesty of what happened here was not lost on Sara. If Malcolm hadn't done what he did or if he had stayed away from Starling, those people wouldn't have died as they did.

"Sara," Digg said with a nod as she dropped in. She gave him a tense smile before circling the still unconscious Merlyn.

"Any trouble?" she asked.

"We've kept him sedated," Digg answered. "He was awake for a brief second but completely incoherent."

Sara smiled at Oliver's partner before heading towards Felicity was hard at work on her computers. Headphones kept the blonde IT girl cut off from the world, and when Sara touched her shoulder, she jumped a clear three feet. Felicity clutched at her chest.

"A little warning," she said. "You're as bad as Oliver. I keep telling him he needs a bell collar with how he moves. And by collar I don't mean anything…" she trailed off, her cheeks a bright red. "I'm just going to…"

Sara leaned in close to Felicity and whispered, "I need you to try and track Viper again. Use the footage from traffic cams and see where she was heading."

"You can't go after her alone," Felicity said incredulously.

"I'm not planning to," she smiled as her eyes flickered over to Malcolm. "But I am going to make sure no one else dies for _him_." The contempt in her voice was clear; enough so, that Felicity actually flinched from the ferocity of it.

"Did you ask Oliver..?" she began to ask, but Sara shook her head.

"He's the reason Thea was hurt," she argued. "I won't do it until I clear it with him, but the trail will go cold before I get the chance to talk to him. So if you could… do your computer thingy."

"It's not a computer thingy," Felicity huffed. "I use triangulation systems coupled with…" Sara held up her hand.

"Sounds great," she sighed. She remembered the last time Felicity had gone on a tangent about computers; the conversation had been unending. It was one of the few times Sara could claim she had actually fallen asleep from boredom. "Just let me know when you find her."

Viper had to change buildings before she could even think to check herself over. She made sure to use a route that was not easily followed and changed locations four times in the Glades before settling in an abandoned motel. It was disgusting, but it would suit the assassin's needs for the moment.

Pulling her uniform over her head slowly, she felt her shoulder tense with the movement. She had been lucky; the arrow could have gone straight through. Sticking a piece of cloth in her own mouth, she probed the wound with her fingers to check for any debris that could lead to complications later. Once disinfected, she set about suturing it closed, and in the mirror nearby, she could see she was already an assorted mess of bruises. She'd be sore for a few days at the very least, but nothing was broken and the shoulder would heal. Nothing that would keep her from the field.

Nearby her contact phone lay waiting. She had to check in at some point, and she had been waiting until she had made contact with Malcolm. Once she was cleaned up enough that she'd be able to sleep once business was concluded, she dialed an obscure and untraceable number. It wouldn't be Ra's that picked up; he was too important for such manners. However whoever she spoke to would take her message straight to him, and she had only one clear thing to say- she had found Merlyn, and she'd have his head by the end of the week.

The last thing Viper expected was actually to be put on hold. That never happened, and that had to mean something was happening. The assassin could only silently hope that it didn't have to do with Talia. Viper wasn't a fool; if she failed to complete this assignment in a given amount of time, the more experienced and lethal hunter would be out here in no time to clean the mess up herself. Viper didn't want to consider what would happen if her and Talia were stuck in a room together again.

"The Master has a message for you," the voice on the other end said, and Viper sat at attention. "An agent has left the compound without permission, and rumors speculate that she is heading to Starling City."

"And he wishes for me..?" Viper trailed off.

"You are to stand down until further notice."

"Who ran?" Viper asked. It was a strange order, and while she wouldn't usually ask any questions, she couldn't help it here. Very rarely was a hunter pulled off an assignment, especially when she wasn't in turn then re-assigned.

There were a few guesses on the tip of her tongue, but she wanted confirmation.

"Nyssa Al Ghul," the voice confirmed before hanging up.

What Nyssa just did could be consider running, and that put her in Viper's sights. However, she truly doubted Ra's would order a hit against his own daughter, and she wasn't about to risk her own neck by going after Nyssa against Ra's order. There were a lot of things Viper was; crazy wasn't one of them. With a sigh though, she grabbed a map of Starling and began to work out where she had met Slade Wilson. If Nyssa was heading here and she ended up in the eye sights of that man, it could result in an all-out war if Slade killed her. Viper growled with annoyance. She couldn't understand how a simple retrieval mission, for Malcolm or not, had begun to weave itself into this.

**Note:** Yep it's shorter, and that's because I want to take the entirety of next chapter and have a conversation between Malcolm and Oliver then Oliver and Felicity. I want to spend some time with the latter for once, so I wanted to get all this exposition in this chapter.

As some of you have discovered, I love to respond to your reviews, and if I can't directly, I'll answer them here. One of you mentioned that perhaps I've made Viper too likeable, and it's an incredibly good point. I've given you all a clear look inside her head, and I did that for a reason. Later on when things get hairy, I didn't want any of you to get whip lash with how characters are going to act, so I felt it was necessary to set up who Viper is.  
The truth of it she isn't a villain, not really. She's doing her job, and while currently, she's a thorn in Oliver's side, there's a lot more to come… and perhaps, she isn't his biggest worry. I won't say much beyond that for reasons (don't want to spoil too much).

Just want you all to know I am listening, and this story is approaching a dark turn for all characters involved.

Enjoy


	15. Importance

**A/N: I apologize. I'm having trouble with this chapter actually showing, so to anyone who received multiple alerts- that's on me. I'm sorry. To apologize further, I'll have another chapter ready by tomorrow.**

**Chapter 15**

"How long will the police be here for?" Oliver asked practically jumping down the steps of the Foundry. In the corner, Sara was doing pull-ups, and while he was exhausted from the night's activity, he understood her need to expend more energy. The adrenaline high he was on had yet to temper, and he would probably have to spar the remaining off. That was if Malcolm didn't give him a headache first.

"They should have it cleaned up by morning," Felicity answered turning towards Oliver. "But it'll remain a crime scene for a few days… bodies and murder seem to do that." She paused and considered him before asking, "How's Thea?"

"Alive and upset," he sighed. Sara jumped down and joined them. "How's your father?"

"Arrow missed anything vital," she answered. "He was lucky that Viper was in a hurry to leave…"

"I'm sorry."

Sara nodded and frowned. The tension in the air was palpable, and the reason was sitting a few feet away groaning as he fought his way back to consciousness. "What are you going to do with him?" Sara asked, changing the subject. She hadn't thought to ask why Viper had grabbed Thea; that had been in the past, and Mr. Merlyn was a current problem.

"First, we're going to talk," Oliver answered pointedly. "Then as a group, we will decide." He recognized the gleam in Sara's eye. He wasn't stupid, and he knew she wanted to toss him to the wolves. It'd get Viper out of their city and far from her family. It was a reasonable reaction, but they had to discuss it first. Oliver had come to a decision on his way here: he, as a single person, couldn't hand Malcolm over to the League, but if the group decided, Thea's father or not, then he would honor that. It was the only way he could live with himself.

"Ollie," Sara began, but he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Why don't you go grab us something to eat?" he suggested. Sara had a great deal of control with her emotions, but he wanted a few minutes alone with Malcolm before the shouting started. "Digg, go with her."

"I can handle myself," Sara frowned.

"Then you can protect me," Digg said offering his arm to the League member. She sighed but acquiesced to his request. The two headed up the back entrance of the Foundry while Felicity returned to her computer.

Oliver dragged a chair over to the dark archer, so that he could sit across from him. Before actually sitting, he checked the other man's pulse and decided he still had a few minutes before the sedative wore off. So instead, he headed over to Felicity and leaned over her chair. When she glanced up at him in confusion, he gave her a small smile.

"I haven't asked you if you're doing okay," he clarified. "Since the office incident with Viper."

"I'm fine," she smiled. "See one whole piece. I'm fine, well fine physically. I mean yes I look good or I think I do, but yes" She trailed off per usual. "I really need to think before I start talking." She pursed her lips and went back to typing half expected Oliver to move away, but he stayed close. He turned her chair and crouched down in front of her.

"Physically, yes," he said. "I meant more mentally. You were poisoned and threatened at my office. I didn't protect you." He reached out and touched her cheek. "I'm sorry for that."

"You couldn't have known," she whispered. "It's not your fault."

"I still should have done something," he answered.

"Like what? Throw her out a window?" Felicity meant it more as a joke, but she watched as his gaze clouded over. "I'm not serious. Please don't throw people from the top of Queen consolidated. The press might not… appreciate… bodies falling."

Oliver chuckled and grabbed her hand in his. "No you're probably right, not the best response. But at least it would have been something. Instead, I let her walk out. I shouldn't have done that."

"I'm not important," she began, but Oliver's gaze stopped her flat. He was glaring holes at her, but she got the distinct feeling that it wasn't her that he was mad at. He always had an intense aura around him, and occasionally, it felt amplified, especially after someone threatened his family or friends.

"You're important," he growled, squeezing her hand. "Don't ever think otherwise."

"I'm just your IT…" she began, but he started to shake his head. He went to argue when he stopped mid-sentence. He glanced over his shoulder at Malcolm, who looked to be unconscious, but if Oliver was looking at him, Felicity knew that it was just an act. Seemingly knowing he'd been caught, Malcolm glanced up at the duo. He didn't look overly thrilled but not particularly worried either. If anything, his gaze showed amusement.

"Later," Oliver promised standing slowly. He went back to join the dark archer, but before he was out of earshot, he said over his shoulder, "And Felicity I'm sorry about Barry. You're right, I should have trusted you and your judgment. Thank you for saving my life… again."

Sitting in the chair across from Malcolm, the two archers remained quiet and just observed the other. The contempt in both their faces was clear as day, and it was obvious that this was a confrontation that neither of them wanted. Malcolm tensed in his bonds, but beyond that, he didn't move. It was an automatic reaction; Oliver also would unconsciously fight back against restraints.

Deciding they had been quiet long enough, Oliver started, "I thought I made it clear what would happen if you returned to Starling."

"And yet I'm still alive," the elder Merlyn said pointedly. He remembered the threat clearly, but he had also heard the rumors that the vigilante rarely took lives anymore. It had been a risk to return to Starling, but he had to see Thea once he knew the truth. He hadn't expected Viper's involvement, and he didn't think Ra's would have sent an agent here. When Moira had threatened him, he had left Starling, and had only returned when he had been called by a frantic Moira.

"That could change very easily," Oliver growled, his hands clenching into fists. The Queen scion couldn't help the hate he felt for the man. His best friend's father had dropped a city on top of hundreds of innocents and would have killed more if not for Detective Lance deactivating the first device. The worst of it was that Malcolm truly believed in what he had done. The line between revenge and justice was thin and sometimes indistinguishable; Oliver knew that better than anyone. But he would never kill hundreds of innocent people just to further his own agenda. It frightened him to think that back on the island how close he had been to becoming another Malcolm Merlyn. It was the code, his code handed down to him by his teachers- Slade, Shado, and others- that had kept him on the side of justice and not revenge.

"I doubt it," Malcolm said calling Oliver's bluff. The two went back to considering the other, but this time, Mr. Merlyn seemed a bit more smug. Even tied up, he owned the room. Nearby Felicity was doing her best to ignore the entire conversation, but she could feel Malcolm's eyes in her back. Unconsciously, she ducked down.

"You caused me a lot of headache Ms. Smoak," Malcolm said. He remembered the Trojan in his system, and he recalled that the Detective would have never been able to disable the other device if not for Queen's IT girl.

"You don't talk to her," Oliver hissed. He wanted Malcolm's attention away from Felicity; it unnerved him otherwise. "We're having a conversation."

"About what?" Malcolm asked. "I see this going one of two ways. Either you're going to let me go, and I continue on my way or you hand me over to Viper."

"I could kill you," Ollie pointed out.

"I doubt your conviction," Malcolm said easily enough. He had a mask of calmness across his features, and Oliver suddenly wished he was the man he was last year. This would have made the entire situation easier.

There was a pause before Oliver finally asked, "Why'd you save me?" At Malcolm's confusion, he continued, "The warehouse. I saw you shoot him before I lost consciousness. Is it just because Thea's your daughter and I'm her brother?" Nearby, Felicity gasped, but he ignored her.

"I see you've been told the truth about her heritage," Malcolm nodded. "Good for Moira."

"She didn't have much choice after Viper confessed it to Thea," he growled. "But I'm still going to have Felicity run a DNA comparison to be sure." He didn't doubt that Malcolm believed Thea was his, but Oliver wanted to be sure. "Now my question."

Malcolm's gaze narrowed, and he didn't look entirely proud of himself. "I owed you a debt," he explained. "Ingrained into us from the League that we repay those debts." His tone betrayed the truth of it; Malcolm hadn't interceded to help Oliver for any other reason than that Oliver at one time had saved his. It was true that Malcolm felt a bit of resonance for the boy, a son he never truly had, but on opposite ends of the playing field, that relationship would never further itself. They were men made of the same material, and as such, constantly repelled the other.

"Since I saved your life again," Oliver started, but Malcolm let out a bark of laughter.

"Saved me? I'm tied up in your clubhouse," he growled.

"But you're not with Viper," Oliver happily pointed out. When he had seen Malcolm on his knees in front of Viper, he had expected the elder Merlyn to have a plan and had waited. Then, it actually appeared that Malcolm was going to surrender, and Oliver stepped in. He worried what Viper might do when Thea was of no use, even though Sara had assured him that the League hunter would honor the code. Once her prey was caught, she wouldn't kill anyone else and she'd release any hostages she had to take in order to finish her job.

Centering himself as taught, Malcolm calmed his raging emotions and focused on the elder Queen again. He wondered briefly what would have happened if he had been able to convince Queen to join his cause back during the Undertaking. He was sure it would have gone a whole much smoother, but obviously, that time was passed. There was no need to think of it now, so he pushed those thoughts away. "And what do you plan to do with me now?" Twisting his wrist, Malcolm realized given time, he could break the ties holding him to the chair. It would simply take time, and he needed to know how much time he expected to have.

"That will be up to everyone," Oliver admitted as his gaze trailed past Malcolm to Sara and Diggle, who were heading down the stairs. He wondered what their choice would be, and he found himself hoping that they had learned as he had that there were other ways of dealing with situations. It didn't always have to end in death, but he wasn't even sure if Felicity would be able to see like that. This wasn't just any criminal in their base, and it was hard to forget that.

**Note:** So heir to the demon is coming up soon; the set up will probably be next chapter. For those wondering about Viper's 180 on Slade. She wouldn't mind him as an ally, but she also knows the danger the man possesses. She doesn't want to lose any potential connections, but her loyalty is to the League. She wants to be sure that Ra's daughter will be safe while in Starling. Viper knows the fallout that could happen if Slade, Oliver, or Malcolm killed one of Ra's daughters.


	16. Choices

**Chapter 16**

"You already know what I want to do," Sara announced once they had all settled into the Foundry. Felicity sat at her computer while the others leaned against nearby tables, weapons close enough due to the threat in the room. No one wanted to discuss the topic at hand, but there wasn't any way around it either. They had to make a decision of what to do with Merlyn. "Viper is dangerous enough, but she won't be the only hunter they send if she doesn't get results soon."

"Some people don't deserve to live," Digg agreed with a nod; his mind was focused solely on Floyd when he said this though. He understood there was a line that they had to respect, and he walked it dangerously enough as it was. If he gave the go ahead to kill Malcolm, he wondered if he'd ever be able to cross back over. "But," he added a breath later, "maybe we learned our lesson with the Count. No personal vendettas."

"This isn't a vendetta," Sara argued with a laugh. "He killed over five hundred people, and I'm sure if we asked him, he doesn't regret it and would do it again just to ensure he finished the job." The four glanced over when she said this to see Malcolm calmly smirking. This confirmed Sara's statement. They hadn't moved out of earshot of Malcolm as there wasn't much point since what they were discussing was him, and whatever they decided, they would have simply told him a few minutes later anyway.

"I don't disagree," Oliver whispered. "He deserves everything coming to him, but I swore to myself, on Tommy's memory, that I would stop making that decision. I'd stop dropping bodies and find another way." He met Sara's gaze head on.

"You'll live with yourself," she frowned. "You've done worse than this and moved on."

Oliver couldn't help but flinch at her words. She was completely right, and he didn't need to be told that she was talking about Slade. In those final weeks with Slade, every shred of decency they both had went out the window. They had done whatever was necessary to survive, and in the end, Oliver had let his composure to slip. He had put an arrow through Slade's eye and killed him… the difference between then and now was though that Oliver regretted that decision now. He should have done it differently.

"That doesn't mean he should do that now," Felicity said in defense of Oliver. She knew his feelings on the subject, and she had seen how he would tear himself apart when he would slip up. She was worried; if Oliver went through with handing Malcolm over to the League to be killed, she wasn't sure if he would come back himself.

"Then there is the possibility that he is Thea's father," Oliver revealed, and a pin could have dropped in the Foundry and be heard due to the silence. Felicity had heard Oliver say it earlier, but she stayed quiet and opened a medical report.

"Not a possibility," she finally said waving her hand towards the computer. "Someone ran a DNA test. He is her father, biological father I mean. Since I'm sure you believe whoever raises you is your father. Which would make Mr. Queen her father, but not by blood."

Oliver rubbed his forehead and tried not to smile at her usual antics; at least, something was normal. He glanced over the report for any flaws that would reveal that it was faked, but if Felicity believed it was real, then without a doubt it was. She was rarely wrong, and Oliver would trust her explicitly with his life. He tried not to laugh at himself when this thought crossed his mind; only hours before he had yelled at her for saving his life. He could be an idiot sometimes, but at least, he had already apologized. The last thing he needed was Felicity's fury; during one of those swings, he wished she'd dress up in the hood. She would easily strike the fear of God into the men he hunted down.

"I take it this is why Viper kidnapped her?" Digg asked.

"Seems to be," Ollie sighed. "Thea said that Viper took her as bait and only injured her to get Malcolm to surrender."

"I can't believe he actually did," Sara muttered, but the elder Merlyn must have heard as he snorted.

"I'd do anything to protect my family," he growled as he continued to silently work to free himself. "Thea is my daughter."

"Good job protecting Tommy then," Sara said antagonizing Malcolm further. He tensed in his restraints, and if looks could kill… His teeth were clenched, and he strained to free himself. He wanted to obviously wring Sara's neck.

"Focus," Digg said pulling everyone back to the conversation at hand. Even he did not want this to turn into a bloodbath if it was avoidable.

Felicity just didn't want to have to remodel the Foundry again, so she hoped they could hold themselves back from turning to blows. The quake had done enough damage, and she didn't want to risk her computers in a potential fight. As it was, she scooted closer to her babies as if to shield them from the anger in the room.

"What do you want to do, Ollie?" Sara asked blatantly. "We've gone back and forth on this for a while now. There aren't a lot of options."

"I know," he sighed. "We have three that I can think of."

"Kill him ourselves?" Digg suggested, and Felicity blanched at that. She really didn't want to have to clean up blood in the Foundry; Oliver's was one thing but someone else's because they were killed? She could deal with seeing it through the video link, but she wasn't sure how she'd feel to seeing in front of her again.

"Hand him over to the League," Sara added.

"Or set him free," Oliver finished, and he could tell that was the least favorite option for selfish reasons. No one wanted to set a mass murderer free, but based on the looks Digg and Felicity were giving him, they weren't overly happy with the other two options either. To Oliver, it was relieving to see Digg willing to let a vendetta go, and he wondered when the time came if he could for Floyd as well.

"Do I get a say in any of this?" Malcolm asked. His tone betrayed nothing of what he was feeling. The four glanced over to him, and he got his answer: no.

"If he keeps talking, I am suggesting duct tape," Sara said, and that somehow broke the tension. They all shared a smile, and Digg quickly offered to do it which made the situation even better.

Felicity spoke quietly next and brought everyone back to the problem at hand, "Maybe we shouldn't decide this tonight."

"Felicity's right," Oliver agreed. "This is something we should sleep on. Go home," he said to each of them.

"We can't leave him alone in the Foundry," Digg said, and Sara moved to suggest herself.

Oliver interrupted, "Sara go spend some time with your father. I'll stay."

"But your family," Felicity said.

He sighed deeply, "Will have to wait. No one will think twice if I'm gone all night dealing with the club's mishap tonight." He looked at each of them. "Go."

"Not leaving you," Digg argued, but Oliver wouldn't have it. The only trouble that they would have tonight would be from Viper not Malcolm. He wasn't thrilled with having the elder Merlyn in the Foundry, but he knew the restraints well enough that they would keep him at least for the night.

"For me," he said. "Get some sleep. I doubt any of you got much with me being unconscious…"

"And almost dying," Felicity said. "Don't forget that."

"And almost dying," Oliver added. "I've had enough for tonight. Go." With the repeated command, Digg retrieved his belongings and headed to the door. Both Sara and Felicity lingered, and he approached his IT girl first.

"Be careful," she whispered, her eyes never leaving Malcolm.

"You worry too much," he grinned. It reminded her of his playboy days- the carefree grin-, but this one didn't reach his eyes. She could see that while he didn't want her to worry, he was stressed beyond belief. However when he was in one of these moods, there wasn't much she could do to help. He'd have to work it out himself, and that's what let her give him a quick hug then head home. She did need the sleep; keeping Oliver alive was exhausting some nights.

Finally, Ollie had a somewhat private moment with Sara excluding Malcolm in the room. He touched both her shoulders gently and pulled her in close. His nose buried into her hair, and he relaxed against her. He could tell that everything that had been happening lately was draining for Sara. She had run to escape the League, and now, there was a hunter in town. He didn't need to be told that it scared her to think that Viper could be doing all of this to her and her family. He also knew without a doubt that while she had left the League, the League hadn't exactly left her. Her training was ingrained into her, and it was why she found it all too easy to consider killing or handing Malcolm over.

"We'll figure this out," he whispered only to her. He pulled back far enough to kiss her gently. "Worse odds."

Sara smiled, but it was forced. She didn't even push for another kiss, only untangled herself from Oliver. She had hoped he would head home tonight, so that she could do what was necessary. She was sure that come tomorrow they would agree, save her, to let Malcolm go. To her, they couldn't do what was necessary, and while she wanted Malcolm dead, she figured it would be better to let Viper carry out the punishment. Hopefully by tomorrow, Felicity would have a location that Sara could use to at least talk with the hunter. Work something out that protected their families while ridding the world of one madman.

"Be careful," Sara said as she headed out. She didn't plan to return to the hospital as Laurel would be there. As it was, she almost was caught when her older sister had arrived, and Sara wasn't ready to be seen just yet by Laurel. For now, she would stay away and trust that her sister would take care of things. At least, she'd have a night in the clock tower; she always slept best up there.

Now alone, Oliver turned all the computers to stand-by; something he knew Felicity would curse him out for tomorrow. Nonetheless, he didn't want to chance something popping up that Malcolm could read. Ollie didn't want the elder Merlyn to have any more of a glance into their lives than necessary.

"I'm not leaving," Malcolm said, and this forced Oliver to acknowledge the dark archer again. "If that's what you and your _team_ decide. I'm not going."

"You don't have a choice," Oliver growled, returning the chair to its proper place along with his bow and costume.

"I'm not leaving Thea," he clarified. "She's my daughter, and I'm not leaving her here now that she knows the truth."

"She's my sister." He glared at Malcolm, and understanding dawned on Oliver. "She's not going anywhere with you." He didn't like where this conversation was headed; he grasped that Thea was her own person and had her own choices to make. But he didn't want that choice to have any involvement with Malcolm. Father or not.

"That's her decision to make," Malcolm said.

"Have you met her?" Oliver chuckled. "She was angry at our mother for helping _you_ kill hundreds of people. I don't think she's going to respond to you much better since you actually committed the act."

"And I'd do it again," he hissed. "They deserved no better."

"Did Tommy?"

That effectively shut Malcolm up for the night.

**Note:** I realized in a prior chapter I might have made it sound like Laurel knew that Sara was back; I apologize for that and elaborated that here. So no Laurel doesn't know. Nyssa will be arriving next chapter, and we get to go back to Slade (Kind of, you'll see). Talia… well just wait, it'll be good.  
Well hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	17. The Ties

**Chapter 17**

Come morning, Oliver was exhausted. There wasn't a single part of him that didn't ache from the fight the night before, and to top it all off, he hadn't slept much. Nightmares had stayed on the edge of his dreams, and he doubted he got much more than an hour of restful sleep. Part of the blame was to lay at Malcolm's feet though; Ollie was confident the elder Merlyn wouldn't escape the restraints, but his instincts were too strong. Having an enemy in the room had kept him aware and awake in turn.

Sluggishly moving around the Foundry, Ollie tried to get the blood flowing back into his extremities. It was early, but he used the salmon ladder nonetheless. The exertion wouldn't help his tired limbs, but it would help his mind refocus. It also had the added advantage of waking Malcolm from his sleep.

The Dark Archer hadn't slept well the night before, but he had gotten more then what he expected. His training in the League had allowed him to sleep in all sorts of weird configurations, but his mind had raced most of the night as he tried to think of an escape plan. He didn't want to stay in the Foundry any longer than necessary, and he didn't have much hope that Oliver's _team_ would simply let him go. They'd want him dead; Oliver had said as much the last time they had crossed paths.

Malcolm tested the ties around his hands again, and he was thankful he still had his League uniform on, else the ties would have cut into his wrists by now. However, they had more give then they did last he checked, and within a few hours, his hands would be free. Once there, he would get rid of the leather tie around his chest and legs. He stopped moving when he felt another presence in the Foundry, and he tensed for a second before he relaxed. There was no point in winding himself up when he couldn't exactly fight back yet.

Sara walked around Malcolm, and her gaze told him everything he needed to know. She wanted to hand him back to Ra's Al Ghul, and he would have laughed at the loyalty the girl still somehow showed the League. He wondered how deep that bond would go when they finally assigned a hunter to kill her.

"Sleep well?" Sara asked as Oliver reached the top and flipped himself. He hung from his legs and started to do some crunches. Her voice betrayed her sarcasm. She was sure he had slept as well as she had. Too much had gone on in one day, and while she had been completely blitzed, her mind had refused her the needed rest.

Moments later, she was climbing up one side of the ladder to join Oliver at the top. Like Oliver, she needed to work some energy off, but she wasn't sure if she was in the mood to spar given what happened the night before. She was starkly reminded that she wasn't the best fighter in the League, but she was grateful to be better than most. The credit for that went to someone else entirely though…

"How's your Father?" Ollie asked as he positioned himself, so that he could sit on the bar.

"He went home last night," she sighed. "The hospital wanted to keep him longer, but he wouldn't have it."

"Sounds like your father," he chuckled, and they shared a quick smile. They would have continued their conversation had Felicity not walked in at that given moment. She looked worried when she didn't see anyone right away. "Up here Felicity!" he called out getting her attention.

"You know Oliver if you don't want to go into the office," she began the lecture, "that's your choice, but I am not your secretary. I am not going to call in sick for you."

With a laugh, Ollie descended the ladder and landed next to Felicity silently. "But you are," he corrected, but when she glared, he quickly added, "As my executive assistant. That's your job."

"No my job is this," she said waving her hand around the Foundry, only hesitating when her eyes flickered across Mr. Merlyn. "Not being your mom." She paused and frowned. "That's a creepy thought when you're all glisteny and shirtless… and yeah." She moved away quickly, and left Ollie to shake his head.

"Is she always like that?" Malcolm asked, cocking his head to consider the blonde IT girl for a moment.

"Pretty much," he answered truthfully. "Shouldn't you be at the office?"

"I'm _your_ fake assistant," Felicity huffed. "Isabel can get her own coffee." She turned each computer on, and above her head, Sara continued to work out.

"And that reminds me I'm hungry," he said mostly to himself when Sara dropped down.

"Why don't you and Felicity go and grab something for everyone, and I'll stay and watch Malcolm," Sara suggested, but when she said this, her eyes were locked onto the elder Merlyn. He could see the contempt in her gaze.

"Oh I know this great bagel place!" Felicity said excitedly. "We can get coffee, and I won't have to make it."

Leaning in, Oliver pecked Sara on the cheek and nodded. "We won't be gone long." Sara smiled after them and made sure they left before she grabbed a bottle of water from her bag and offered it to Malcolm.

"I was League trained as well," he snorted. "I'm not drinking anything you offer me."

Groaning, Sara downed some of the bottle and made a show that she swallowed it. After a few minutes of nothing happening, she offered again, and this time he drank without hesitation. His leg was still throbbing, and he needed to avoid infection. Drinking water would help stave off anything for the moment.

Sara and Oliver had noticed the wound the night before, but they had been a bit distracted to do anything about it. Now, she bent down and moved the cloth aside to see how deep it was. Sensing the other ex-League member was anything but pleased by this, she took even more time examining the stitches. The wound looked clean, but a bit inflamed. Unable to help herself, she grabbed a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and poured some on the injury. He tensed, but otherwise said and did nothing.

"You need to keep that cleaned," she said simply. "We don't need you dying of infection."

"You're planning to hand me over to Viper," he said curtly once she had moved away, bottle of water to her own lips again.

"Of course I am," she smiled. "I won't let you hurt my family, and I'm not risking them for you."

Oliver let Felicity choose the order of bagels and the cheeses while he stood by and watched. She was oddly excited about eh prospect of a breakfast food that looked like a donut but tasted bland in comparison. He had tried to convince her to go to the donut shop moments ago, but she had huffed and put her foot down.

"It's going to take a few minutes," she said guiding Oliver to an open nearby table. This early in the morning, people were just starting to trickle in for the sustenance they would need to make it through the work day.

A few seconds passed where neither said anything, but Oliver finally took pre-emptive action and spoke, "How are you today?" He mentally smacked himself for such a stupid question.

"I'm okay," she murmured, "if you enjoy the fact we have one sociopath hunting us down and another tied up in our basement." She blushed red at her own words. "Not tied up like that or anything."

"I'd hope not," he replied, a smile playing at his lips. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "I know it's been a stressful last few days, but I'm glad you're here with me."

"No more stressful than usually," she frowned. "Considering your night activities, this isn't even in my top ten for stressful!"

"Oh really?" he chuckled. "Now I'm curious to know what makes your top ten."

There was a pause before she answered truthfully, "Any time you're hurt or dying." She met his gaze straight on. "Can you stop doing that please?"

"It's not that I go out looking…" he began but she interrupted.

"But you do," she argued. "Every night when you," she said motioning the hooding up with a flick of the wrists. "We almost lost you Oliver." Her eyes fell to the table at the memory of him unconscious in a pile of boxes, an unknown syringe in his leg. "I thought I had."

"I'm right here," he said. "I'm alive and fine." The thought _for the most part_ scattered across his mind, but he didn't say it aloud. "And that's thanks to you and your quick thinking. I'm sorry… again… about Barry." Apologies never came easy to Oliver, but with Felicity, he was willing to admit when he was in the wrong. Whatever spell the two were under was broken when Barry's name came up, and Oliver pulled back slightly, his hand releasing hers. "How is he?"

"He's heading back to Central City," Felicity explained. "He promised me that he wouldn't say a word, and that he'd come visit me."

"Oh?" The jealousy was evident in Oliver's tone. He wasn't pleased by the prospect of the forensic worker returning to his city for anything other than business. He'd never say that aloud of course, but he couldn't help but think it.

"He's nice," Felicity said off-handedly.

"Really?"

"Smart."

"I'm sure." His voice was tense, and he wasn't sure why. However, he knew he needed to end this conversation about Barry Allen now before he suited up and put an arrow in the man. "Anyway… was Isabel really that upset by my absence?" And again, he felt like a moron. He cut Felicity off about Barry only to bring up the she-devil (or that's how Felicity liked to refer to his partner).

"You've missed a lot of work Oliver," Felicity said, her eyes focused on the counter. "Oh there's our bagels!" she said excitedly jumping up to grab the box. The conversation long forgotten, but Oliver couldn't find it in him to stand. He wanted to turn back time and talk with Felicity and not talk about anyone else besides the two of them. Nonetheless, he stood with a smile and offered her his arm.

"Shall we?" he grinned. "Unless of course you want to eat the entire box yourself?" He saw that gleam in her eye; she was a predator when it came to bagels apparently.

"I'd let you help," she said in between bites of her bagel. He laughed and shook his head.

Nyssa had hoped for a quieter entrance as she surveyed the mass of bodies at the terminal gate. She had known her passport had been flagged by ARGUS, but she hadn't expected so much resistance in public. She would have thought ARGUS valued human life enough to not put everyone else in danger, but alas, she grabbed her bag and continued on her way. What's done was done, and she didn't regret killing them when they had pulled their guns on her first.

As she walked, her gaze was pulled towards Starling City, and she tried to hide her frown. _This is what Sara left me for?_ was all she couldn't help but think. Nyssa had been understanding when Sara first ran; she grasped the feel a daughter has for a father. It was that loyalty to her partner that had originally kept her from reporting Sara's disappearance, but as the weeks went by and there was no word, she had been forced to finally go to her father. She had begged him not to send a hunter, and it had been her suggestion that they send Al Owar. When he hadn't returned but one of his underlings had with the thinly concealed threat, Nyssa wasn't shocked when her father sent two hunters out. Killing fellow loyal members had a tendency to set him on edge.

At least Nyssa could count her blessings in that Ra's had not sent Viper to Starling for Sara. Unlike Ra's who thought Sara would run after encountering the League, Nyssa had known better. She remembered the depth of feeling the Canary had for her family, and she wouldn't leave them. She'd do everything she could to protect them…

And that's what Nyssa was counting on.

**Note:** I noticed I hadn't given enough time to Oliver and Felicity (and sort of Sara), so I spent the last three chapters trying to flesh them out a bit more. Hopefully it worked out. Thanks to the people that noticed that and pointed it out.  
Nyssa's in town, finally, and we have an AU of heir to the demon upcoming.


	18. Blood for Blood

**Chapter 18**

Oliver and Felicity returned to the Foundry, and while she headed down the back entrance, Ollie checked out the front of his club. There was still crime scene tape scattered about, but all the cops had gone. Hopefully by tonight, they could re-open; Thea would have a conniption otherwise. He doubted the police would let him since the killer/kidnapper was still running free, but there was always the chance that they'd drop this matter to go after the Arrow. Cops in this city did have an odd order of importance.

Downstairs, he found Felicity was already set up with her computer, and she didn't even glance his way when he hit the bottom step. Nearby Sara had convinced Diggle to spar with her, and she was easily overpowering the ex-soldier. It would have been amusing if the reasons weren't so serious. Three of them had held their own against Viper, but she had held the advantage for the majority of the fight. There wasn't an inch of uncertainty in his mind that if she wasn't trying to keep Malcolm alive for later, they would all be hurting a lot more if not dead.

"I'm glad to see you're still here Sara," Ollie said fetching his own bagel. He watched as she tripped Digg up and landed him flat on his back. "Along with Malcolm." He didn't need to say aloud that he had expected her to drag him out of here, kicking and screaming if needed. She turned and addressed Oliver with a small smile.

"I haven't found her yet," Sara admitted outright. She saw no reason to lie; Ollie would see through it anyway. She had hoped that through the night the tracer had found some clue as to where Viper had gone after their fight, but she had vanished off the map.

"And when you do?" he asked.

"Then let's hope you don't leave me and him alone," she shrugged as he closed the distance. It wasn't in anger that caused her to throw the first punch but out of need to burn off more excess frustration after the previous night. Oliver ducked and easily blocked the next attack. While not dressed to spar, he didn't waste time shedding his jacket and shirt. He wanted to know the depth of Sara's plan; saying and doing were two different things. He didn't doubt her resolve, but he wanted to doubt that she would go behind his back.

Again she made the first move, and he stepped back. This forced her into his space again as she compensated, and soon they were trading blows equally. Oliver had the strength, but Sara was agile. She had been trained well with formal trainers and not just backyard island ASIS.

It had taken letting Sara get in some hard shots before Oliver saw his opening. Dropping to his knees, he spun and kicked Sara's legs out from underneath her. He rolled forward and pinned one arm with a knee and the other with his right arm. She could theoretically use her legs to spring up, but he had enough weight on her that he didn't think it'd help.

"We do things as a group here," he explained, panting slightly from the fight. Beneath him, Sara was no better; she was drenched in sweat and her chest heaved. "Understand?"

Sara looked less than pleased but she nodded. Across the Foundry, Malcolm could be heard saying, "Keeping all your ducks in a row?"

Sara and Oliver shared a look, one that carried a level of respect that they held for the other. They had both been through the fire and had come back charred. They had different ways of dealing with situations, but they could always find even ground in a fight. In a spar, there was no holding back, no hiding. It was a release from the masks that they had to wear every day in front of the general populace. For both Sara and Oliver, they were truly themselves when they put their actual masks or hood on at night and went roaming.

"I brought duct tape," she said with a smile as she reached into her bag and retrieved an honest to god roll of the adhesive. She gave Oliver a suggestive smile and had they been alone in the clock tower, things would probably proceeded a bit differently. However, they were in the Foundry and were far from being alone.

"Please," Digg said from a far off corner.

Oliver chuckled unable to help himself by the pleading look his 'bodyguard' was giving him and the hilarious smirk on Sara's face. Malcolm had been quiet through the night, but based on everyone's reactions, he hadn't wasted much time in pissing every single one of them off in the short time Oliver had left him.

"It won't kill him," Sara added with a nod. "Promise."

"Aren't there better types of gags?" Felicity asked, and when she realized that this probably wasn't the best question to ask a billionaire playboy, her cheeks turned bright red. "I'm going back to tracking suspicious…" she trailed off hoping they weren't listening anymore.

"Maybe," Sara actually answered. "But duct tape has one advantage over those types."

"Hm?" Felicity asked, biting her lower lip and keeping her face turned towards the computer. She heard the tape being pulled from the roll, and she could feel Malcolm's glare from here.

"It's painful to take off," Digg explained as he leaned against her desk. He had a barely noticeable smile on his face, and while he wasn't thrilled with anything that might hurt a prisoner, Malcolm hadn't been very welcoming this morning when they all arrived. Silence and incoherent talking through the tape was a better alternative; plus, it would let them all discuss their previous night's talk without interruption.

Felicity couldn't hide the scorn from her voice, "Not like he doesn't deserve it…" When she realized what she said, she looked up to see Sara and Oliver had joined her. "But when I say that, I don't mean he also deserves whatever the League would have in store for him."

"I know your stance," Oliver said to Sara. "What about you two?" He needed their opinions before he could do anything. If they wanted him dead, Oliver would do it himself and hate himself for it after. He'd spend hours at Tommy's grave if he did that; anything to make up to his best friend for such an atrocious act. He hoped that wasn't their choice even if it was the more merciful choice than simply handing Malcolm over to the League.

"Well I want to know first what the League would do with him," Digg said as he crossed his arms in front of himself.

"It depends," Sara sighed and when she saw the confusion, she clarified quickly, "On whether Viper could get him to surrender peacefully enough to return him to Ra's Al Ghul. Hunters have their own brand of punishment that they can use if their target is too much of a hassle to return."

"Sara," Ollie said, his gaze narrowed. He could tell when she was skipping around the meat of a question; if she was doing this, then she didn't want him to hear the truth of the matter.

"Either way, Ra's or Viper, we're not talking about hours here," she sighed, her eyes catching Malcolm's for a moment. While she despised the man and his actions, she also felt some pity for what faced him when the League caught up with him. To her, there was no if; hunters always caught their prey. "This is days of agony. The law in the League is if you break our code, you have to feel pain for every transgression you committed." Her thoughts when back to the few scars on her body; some of which were from just that- disobeying an order and her penalty in turn.

"And all those people?" Digg ventured a guess.

"Five hundred and three transgressions, and that's just from the earthquake machine and not including any others like those scientists." She leaned in close to Oliver. "What Slade did to you would be like child's play here," she said truthfully, and she watched as Ollie tensed at those words. He wasn't thinking about what would happen to Malcolm, but what had happened to him on the Amazo. His dreams were still filled with it, and he didn't think they would ever fade.

"That… doesn't sound pleasant," Felicity said, her body suppressing a shudder at the thought of the League's sick code.

"What's the advantage of going back peacefully?" Digg asked. If it was him, he'd fight tooth and nail to avoid such a death. He didn't entirely blame Malcolm for vanishing now the first chance he had, and both him and Oliver realized that Malcolm had come out of hiding for one reason/one person- Thea. Oliver had to give the other archer credit to risk so much to protect Thea.

"Ra's is a man of honor." She met Digg's eyes as she said this. "If you were to beg him for death, he would grant it. Hunters," she said with a shake of her head, "they wouldn't care. Beg for hours or days, it doesn't matter to them. They'll kill you when _they _feel like it." Sara wanted them to understand this; if they wanted to make an informed decision that was their choice. She would tell them all the facts and let them decide. She did feel something for wanting to hand Malcolm over to such a fate, but she grasped the severity of hunters. "It's how the League works."

"Keeps people from running," Ollie summarized with a frown.

"I'm not sure how comfortable I am handing someone over knowing that," Felicity voiced. She wasn't comfortable handing someone over to the death penalty, but she had gotten use to that idea when Oliver would drop bodies. Knowing that someone, even someone as despicable as Malcolm, would undergo such horrors before being killed… she wasn't at ease with such a decision.

"I don't know," Digg said with a shake of his head. "He is their problem. He willingly joined the League."

"And he made the decision to drop a city on a bunch of innocents," Sara finished. She turned to Oliver. "I get it. If you don't want this on your conscious, I'll take him."

"I said group decision," Ollie argued. He realized that Sara would still probably try to do what she wanted, but the last thing he wanted was to get in a fight with her over this.

"Then decide," she sighed. "There is something else you need to know Ollie." This had his attention, and he waited for her to continue. "Viper might take a dead body. If _I_," she said emphasizing she'd do it, "kill him and drop the body, she might be content. Other hunters won't be if they have to come." By other hunters, Sara meant one specifically- Talia. "Our code allows for something when it comes to penalties. Blood can take place of another."

"Um, what does that mean?" Felicity asked. She was incredibly smart, and she already had an idea of where this was going. Nonetheless, she had to ask to be sure.

"Viper or another hunter, if they become frustrated with trying to capture Malcolm or we kill him and they don't accept that as a suitable punishment," she explained trailing off.

"Sara," he snapped.

"They could take Thea as recompense." Sara didn't believe Viper would go after Thea in such a manner unless absolutely necessary, but she wouldn't put it past Talia to do it anyway.

**Note:** Yeah I made up that whole blood for blood thing to fit the story. Just thought it'd be an interesting idea that if one person committed a horrible crime, another person (related) to actually step up and receive the punishment. It would be more of dissuasion since after all who of us could stand by and watch our brother, sister, parents, etc. take something meant for us.

Next chapter we catch up with our League friends.  
Also two things: 1. I received a question about the title and figured I'd explain it real quick. Short Change Hero is a song by the Heavy- go listen to it. Epic song and fits the story.

2. If you're looking for another awesome Oliver and Malcolm team up fic (that doesn't take as long as this for the partnership to actually start), I suggest Bloodsong's Green & Black. The first one is done and the sequel is currently in the works. Thumbs up there.

Lastly, the length of this- I have no idea as it sort of is growing on its own. I can tell you that the team-up, the thing this entire fic has been leading towards, is now coming sooner rather than later. I actually have that planned out, and the beginnings of this partnership is starting to take hold even now.


	19. Plans, Preparations, and Partners

**Chapter 19**

"I wouldn't allow that," Malcolm growled once he had freed his mouth from the tape. He looked beyond furious for having his mouth taped shut to start. He wasn't thrilled with the prospects of what was being discussed, and it drove him harder to try and free himself. He wouldn't be able to protect Thea dead or captured by the League. Then, there were the rumors about another player in town; one that had his eyes set on the Queen family. It unnerved Malcolm to think Oliver had somehow made an enemy as powerful as Deathstroke, and he had seen the man's file. He'd do whatever was needed to hurt Oliver, including going after Thea and Moira, and Malcolm wasn't about to let that happen.

"Then hand yourself over," Sara said with a smile.

"I believe you're going to do that for me," he said simply, his tone betraying nothing of what he felt. Malcolm needed an opening, and he'd be able to escape. Deciding it was for his benefit to prevent a decision from being reached just yet, he added his own input, "You are forgetting a fourth option. One that would protect Thea… and Sara." As he said this though, his eyes had sought out Felicity. He had overheard what had happened to Oliver's EA when Viper had come to visit; the Queen scion was lucky she was still up and moving around.

This had Oliver's attention even if he didn't say anything. He leaned more into the desk and crossed his arms; his entire posture screamed frustration. The last thing Oliver wanted was to take advice from the other archer, but at the moment, he was still at a loss as to what to do. There was no easy choice, and another option, any option, would be a welcomed reprieve.

"Let me go," he said which Sara made a noise of disapproval to, "and I'll kill Viper and any other hunter that comes." He looked to the other League member. "Last I checked there are currently five hunters?"

Sara eyed the other archer but nodded. "Two are searching for me, Viper is here, and that leaves Talia and other hunter's whereabouts unknown."

"There are only five?" Felicity asked.

"Too risky to have more," Sara said.

"And the next group that could become hunters should still be in their teens," Malcolm explained.

"He's right," Sara said. "If all the hunters were dead, we'd only have to contend with other League members, and they would still have to follow their code. Everyone outside of this room would be safe."

"And even then, only Sara and I would be their targets," Malcolm added. "They'd be restricted with what they could do unlike the hunters."

"All three of you went up against Viper," Felicity pointed out abruptly, "and you didn't beat her. Not to be the pessimist in the room, because I'm not really a pessimist. I prefer to be an optimist, but anyway, how would you be able to beat not only Viper but four other hunters?"

"One of which is Ra's Al Ghul's daughter. He might actually hunt you down himself if you kill her," the other ex-League member said. She highly doubted Malcolm could defeat all the hunters; he might be able to take out some of them, but Talia would be exceptionally difficult. She was highly trained and adept against any style.

"But he would hunt me down," he argued. "I want to protect my daughter," he growled. "If that means I have to kill every League member, then I will."

Oliver could believe that; after everything he had seen from the Dark Archer, he wouldn't doubt the man's intent. Still, Felicity had been correct. All three of them had tangled with Viper, and he had only gotten the upper hand once. To think that there was another hunter, even more dangerous, was not promising.

"You can't take all the hunters on," Oliver said. "And if you fail, it's my sister's life that's on the line." He refused to acknowledge that Malcolm was Thea's father, and he was unwilling to put his sister in danger.

The Dark Archer smirked as Oliver played right into his hands. "Not alone I can't." The silence was deafening before Digg spoke up again.

"All three of you…"

"Weren't working together last time," he interrupted. "All three of us were there fighting, but we fought separately." It was a good point.

"I don't kill," Oliver growled.

Malcolm laughed, unable to help himself. "Then what exactly were you planning to do with me otherwise?" He enjoyed manipulating the room as he had no intention of going up against five hunters. He just needed out of his restraints- escape or voluntarily released-, and then, he'd convince Thea to leave with him. He could disappear with her, and all would be well. Not even the hunters would find him where he was planning to go.

"Don't worry, I have no issues with it," Sara hissed approaching Malcolm. He tensed for a moment before he realized she was simply replacing the tape.

"Oh this isn't good," Felicity gasped as she typed and worked hard to hack into some server. Oliver leaned over her chair to get a look at whatever had grasped his IT girl's attention, and he quickly scanned the report. He wasn't sure why Felicity had it flagged since she hadn't been actively searching for anything. He wondered if she had created a program to search for anything suspicious that could be tied to the League, and he couldn't help as his gaze trailed to Sara. There was only one person that would ask Felicity to do that.

"What is it?" Sara asked once she was sure the tape was secured again. She felt the Dark Archer's gaze into her back, but she didn't care. She, for one, did not want to go up against five total hunters when the odds weren't their favors; more so, she was not thrilled with any prospect that required her to actually fight beside that man. She might have been a murderer, but she had some honor still intact. At least the suggestion had seemingly calmed Oliver; another choice, even if a bad one, had eased his mind. None of them wanted to feel backed into a corner, except that's exactly what was happening.

"ARGUS," Felicity explained as she was able to worm herself into the footage from an airport. It had been heavily fortified against cyber-attacks, but she never did consider herself a hacker… just someone exceptionally good at getting information on the internet, even if secured. "This happened earlier."

"League," Oliver stated when he saw the woman on the screen easily dispatch all the guards. "A hunter?" he asked turning towards Sara, but she was gone. "Huh."

"You're just as bad," Felicity stated without looking up.

Digg patted him on the shoulder. "She's right man. You both need to learn to make noise when you move around."

Oliver had to know who the woman on the screen was. She handled herself exceptionally well, and it was clear she had prior training. Turning, he walked over to Malcolm and dragged the chair that the man was tied to towards the computer. Digg raised his gun and kept it on the other archer, and without even having to speak, the team worked together to get him close enough to the computer. Oliver figured if she was League, he could identify her.

Yanking the tape from Mr. Merlyn's mouth, Oliver pointed to the woman while keeping one hand on the other man's shoulder. "Who is she?" he asked. At first, the elder Merlyn didn't answer, so Digg stepped in closer, gun at the ready.

"He also has no problem killing you," Oliver stated.

"Yes she's League," Malcolm answered tersely. "That's Nyssa Al Ghul. Ra's Al Ghul's youngest."

"So she's not a hunter thing?" Felicity asked.

"No that would be Talia, Ra's eldest."

"Hmm, is this a good thing then?" she said, more to Diggle and Oliver.

"At this point, who knows," Digg sighed.

"I want to know why she's here," Oliver explained to Felicity. He left Malcolm tied up but headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Digg called after him.

"First to see my sister and mother then to find Sara!" More assassins were never a good thing, and while Nyssa might not be a hunter, he didn't like the idea of having her in his city.

Viper sat silently on the roof, noting internally the coming and goings of Slade Wilson's men. He had some consistent visitors, and it hadn't taken long for the League member to memorize their faces and habits. There had been one surprise in the group- Isabel Roschav. Viper hadn't expected that vile woman from Oliver Queen's office to be working Slade, but it further proved to the assassin how dangerous the man could be. He had infiltrated Queen Consolidated, and Mr. Queen didn't have a clue about any of it. She would have felt something for the vigilante if he wasn't such a thorn in her side currently; all she could muster was frustration and anger at herself.

Her entire life had been filled with training and the constant push to always be better than the person you were fighting. Even if it had only been for a second, Oliver had tripped her up and had her at his mercy. He could have killed her, and there wouldn't have been a thing she could have done. In her mind, she analyzed the fight a multitude of times before she had decided where she had screwed up. She shouldn't have overestimated Malcolm Merlyn's cowardice. There had been signs that his ego and his anger would force him to confront her as he did, and she had not picked up on them. Her foolishness had almost gotten her killed, but she learned quickly. She had to stop playing and trying to limit the casualties.

Next time she clashed bows with Oliver Queen, she wouldn't hesitate in putting the boy in a body bag if he interfered again. Hence another reason she was on the roof observing Slade Wilson; she had made it clear when she arrived that she had no quarrel with Mr. Queen. That had been true enough when she had arrived, but the situation had changed. She didn't believe Oliver would be able to put aside his own moral code and actually team up with Malcolm, but he was doing everything in his ability to make her job near impossible. For someone that was trying to protect the innocent, she wondered if he realized how many he was endangering by being in her way.

Her breath caught when she felt an arrow tip dig into her shoulder, and she waited patiently.

"You're getting soft," Nyssa said. "You would have realized I was up here long before this."

Unable to help herself, Viper smirked, "But I did. I was curious as to what you would do, so I let you approach. I must say the arrow is unexpected." She didn't move, but she glanced over her shoulder to see Nyssa was also in League garb. Her eyes, on the other hand, showed none of Viper's amusement; instead, there was anger. "I would have understood had I killed your precious bird."

"You put her father in the hospital," Nyssa said, but she relaxed her bow and arrow.

"You never said I couldn't touch her father," Viper pointed out as she stood and faced her master's daughter. She lowered her head in respect, but did not go to a knee. Such an action was reserved only for Ra's Al Ghul himself. His daughters controlled much of the League and had a strong say in manner matters, but they themselves were not the ruling body. Viper had been given orders to stand down for the moment, but not any that said she had to obey Nyssa. "And if it helps, it was an accident. I did not realize that man was her father."

"What are you doing up here?" Nyssa said leaning over the edge of the roof. There was nothing going on across the street, and it baffled the younger woman as to why the hunter would be up on this specific roof.

"I should ask you the same," Viper responded catching Nyssa's eye. "Had you been any other League member, what you did would be consider a breach of our code."

Nyssa seemingly ignored Viper's words and continued to survey the building. "I asked you a question."

However, the hunter recognized it as an order; she could refuse it, but she wasn't about to upset the Al Ghul over something so trivial. "It is the current base of operations for a man called Slade Wilson, also known as Deathstroke. He is here to carry out a personal vendetta against Oliver Queen."

"But why are you here?"

"Because you are," Viper answered. "A man like Mr. Wilson would not pass up the chance to have some sort of hold over Ra's Al Ghul, and kidnapping or killing you would do just that. As my master's daughter, I am bound to protect you." She said the last part in contempt; she didn't mind helping Nyssa so much. It was the times when she had to follow orders to protect or help Talia; those days made her skin crawl. "Malcolm Merlyn is injured currently, whereabouts unknown, but he is less likely to come after you right away. Slade Wilson was the current and most dangerous threat to you."

Nyssa nodded her thanks and turned back to Viper. The youngest Al Ghul didn't need protection; she could handle herself easily in any fight. There were few people that could overpower her in a fight. She might not have been a hunter, but she had similar training to one. Her father had wanted her and Talia to be able to defend themselves against any threat, including their own League brothers and sisters.

"I would assume Oliver Queen is no ally of ours?" Nyssa asked. She wanted as much information as she could get before she went and found Sara. She had heard about the other archer to realize that he could be a threat if provoked.

"I had hoped to sway him," Viper explained, her hands clasped behind her back. "But I had to use his sister to try and lure Malcolm Merlyn out." At the other League member's confusion became evident, the hunter elaborated, "She is his daughter."

"You could take her life in place of his?" Nyssa said, more of a question than anything else. She regarded the hunter carefully.

"I have considered it," she nodded. "But I am sure Ra's would prefer if Malcolm, himself, suffered for his crimes. I believe taking his daughter would give him reprieve for what he has done and not be a suitable enough punishment."

"I am not sure my sister would agree."

"Talia is not here." Viper knew what was coming next; it was the only plausible explanation as to why the younger daughter of Ra's would be here. The girl was loyal without a fault to her father, and she would not run for any reason. It had to be a good one, and while some would say love is just that, Sara had been in Starling long enough that Nyssa could have come sooner. There was another reason, and it could only be one.

"Talia will be on her way here soon enough," she explained, and Viper hated it when she was right.

**Note:** So this heir to the demon AU will be roughly 3-4 chapters. There will be Sara/Nyssa in the upcoming chapters, and no, sorry, there won't be any Talia just yet. A few more things have to happen before the next League member drops in.

Some of this will be similar to the episode; some of it not so much. Guess you'll just have to wait and see, but at least, after 19 chapters, Malcolm finally breached the idea of teaming up against a common enemy (even if he was just trying to escape)… this really has evolved into something of its own.

Also, I apologize if I don't get Nyssa's character spot on to the TV show; I haven't seen an episode with her in it in a long while. I have scattered memories of how she acts, so I'm going off of that. Thanks for sticking with me.


	20. The Lies

**Chapter 20**

"How is she?" Oliver asked his mother as he arrived back at the mansion. His mother looked less than pleased to see him, but he did his best to ignore the disappointment in her eyes. After all, she didn't realize what he did at night and who was currently tied up at his base. He might not have been here last night, but his family was still important to him.

"She locked herself into her room," Moira sighed. "I don't know what to do with her." They both currently stood in the foyer, and she looked to be at a completely loss at what to do with the youngest Queen.

"Did you try talking to her?" Oliver suggested, and when he was glared at, he held his hands up. "I am just suggesting that you try again even if it's through the door."

"She doesn't want to hear a word of what I say," Moira frowned.

Oliver decided to try his luck and headed towards the stairs. "You cannot exactly blame her Mom." He meant it too; when she had talked of a secret back in prison, he had never once considered the chance that his sister was only his half-sister. Now, he could understand why she had wanted to avoid court. If it had come out that Thea was Malcolm's it would have undermined the entire defense. The prosecution would have had a field day.

Leaning against the door, Oliver knocked and listened to his sister's threats and anger. "It's me," he said quickly, and his sister quieted before the door cracked open.

"Is that liar with you?" Thea asked, her face screwed up in anger, and when Oliver shook his head, she let him enter her room. It was a mess, more so than usual, and Ollie could tell she had had a field day ripping things apart in her rage. It was a better response, he supposed, than going out at night and shooting people with arrows.

"You can't ignore Mom forever," Ollie said once he was beyond the threshold, and it was unlikely she would be able to throw him back out. Thea crossed her room and sat on her bed; it reminded Ollie of all their times together as kids when she wouldn't get her way. It would have made him smile if the situation wasn't already so tense.

"Watch me," she growled.

"She's worried."

"Good," Thea scoffed. "She lied to me Ollie. To us." She narrowed her gaze. "Unless, of course, you already knew the truth."

Oliver held his hands up innocently and shook his head. "This is just as much of a shock to me," he said truthfully. Once he was sure she wouldn't take his head off, he sat next to her on the bed. "Mom is doing the best she can."

"She lied," Thea hissed.

"And what would have changed if you knew?" he asked. "We all thought he was dead." Internally, Oliver seethed still at the fact Merlyn had returned to Starling after everything the dark archer had done. He hadn't entirely regretted letting Malcolm go that night of the Undertaking, but seeing how his decision had now come back to bite him, he found himself considering what else he could have done. Back then before he knew of Tommy's death, he wouldn't have hesitated in killing Malcolm. It was only now, with his new code, which prevented him from doing what the rest of his team saw as probably necessary.

"You don't understand Ollie," Thea growled. "When that psycho took me, she took me only because of him. Everyone thought he was dead! He could have stayed dead, but instead, he came and saved me."

"What did you tell the police?" he had to ask. The news wasn't aflutter with Malcolm's sudden revival, and the police wouldn't have been able to recognize him with all the recent League member's running around Starling.

"That the vigilante saved me," Thea admitted.

"You lied?" He found it oddly ironic considering how Thea was angry at their mother for lying to her.

"I wasn't sure what to say," she said, teeth clenched. She leaned over and rested her head on her brother's shoulder. "I don't know what to do."

"I know Speedy," he whispered wrapping an arm around her. "But we've been through worse. We'll get through this."

"How do you know?"

"Trapped on a deserted island for five years," he joked. "It can't get much worse than that." He looked down to see amusement in his sister's eyes. The island wasn't something he usually joked about, but he found it appropriate in this situation because he meant it. The island had been five years of hell; if he made it through that fire, his sister and him could make it through this muck.

…

Nyssa was searching for a place to call her own while she was in Starling, and while she had more than enough to stay in a high-end hotel, she didn't want to bring any more attention to herself then needed. ARGUS tagging her the moment she landed she had expected, but she had found it annoying that they had confronted her right then. It had been foolish of them, and she had made sure they had paid the price for it.

Similar to what Viper did, Nyssa chose a rundown factory to make her home near the docks. She didn't think she'd be here long enough to really settle in, but at least, she had a place when she had to eventually crash. Behind her, Viper slowly followed, and since the roof, the hunter had said a word. There wasn't anything to say though; Nyssa had gotten the picture quite easily.

Her father had ordered Viper to hold off on hunting to prevent his youngest from getting caught in any cross-fire. He worried too much in Nyssa's opinion, but she could understand some of the trepidation. Slade Wilson was not a man to trifle with, and Malcolm Merlyn was desperate. Either of them would be willing to kill or even kidnap her for the opportunity to enrage her father. She wasn't entirely thrilled though with having the hunter following her.

"Did my father order you to be a body guard as well?" Nyssa asked once she had set her bag down. She pulled out her bow and quiver. It was still the middle of the day, so Nyssa considered ditching her League attire for a bit.

"No," Viper admitted, "But you are going after your bird. Last I crossed paths with Mr. Queen and Ms. Lance, it hadn't ended in a way I would have preferred." She wanted to avoid saying she had to turn tail; the cops might have forced her from the fight, but she should have had it wrapped up long before that. "Mr. Queen won't be appreciative of another assassin in his city." It was the easiest way to say it. After everything that had occurred, Viper wouldn't put it past him to shoot first and ask questions later. She knew he wouldn't kill Nyssa; that much was clear after their last fight. However, an injured Nyssa would be just as much of a headache to Viper as a dead one. Ra's wouldn't see the difference.

"And if I am?" she asked. "I have the right to track down a member of the League that has left and broken their service."

"It's my job," Viper began when Nyssa stopped directly in front of the hunter. They were roughly the same height, and same build. Viper could feel the anger in the air as the young heir attempted to reel it in.

"Your job is to hunt and kill those that have broken our code," Nyssa said, her voice even. "I am here to bring Sara Lance back into service." She was ready to go find her partner, and she had half a mind to search her bag for something she could use to keep Viper here.

"And if Ms. Lance can't be persuaded?" Viper asked actually allowing Nyssa to leave. She'd follow at a distance since she wasn't sure where the elder Merlyn was currently. Other than that, she'd follow Ra's orders and stay out of Nyssa's way. If this was how the younger Al Ghul wanted to do this that was her choice entirely.

"Then I'll be the one that ends her life," Nyssa said, the order tinging the edge of her voice. Viper could respect that; at least when the time came, she believed the Al Ghul would do what was necessary to fulfill their code.

…

Back at the Foundry, Malcolm stood and shook his tired joints out. He glanced around the Foundry and had to give it to Oliver for a brief moment. It was an ingenious idea to place this underneath his club; no one would ask any questions if they didn't see him all night. He also knew where it was; he hadn't been thrilled with the idea of letting himself being captured, but he wanted to know where Oliver had set himself up at. Then, there was what was in front of him- the computer system. He calculated that Felicity would have all the information he might need, so being tied in a chair for a day and half was an acceptable loss in turn for everything he'd be gaining.

Stepping over the unconscious Ms. Smoak, Malcolm took a seat at the computer and began to rummage through their files. He knew that they had a trace going in an attempt to track Viper; he wondered if he could use that to his advantage. Knowing where the hunter was would make her easier to avoid. Instead, he found more information on Nyssa Al Ghul, which to him was a treasure trove. He couldn't keep the smirk from his face as he found a flash drive and downloaded the intel. If he couldn't get Thea to leave town with him, then he needed a back-up plan. The youngest Al Ghul would be perfect; her life for his. Ra's would be unable to refuse, and the League of Assassin's ruler was a man of his word. If Ra's said to never touch Malcolm again, it would be followed through with as long as Malcolm didn't annihilate the code again.

Nonetheless, the Dark Archer would prefer to just avoid the entire mess if possible. He knew that if he went after Nyssa, Viper would not be far behind. The hunter wouldn't risk injury to her master's youngest. He glanced over his shoulder to see Mr. Diggle was trying to return to the land of consciousness, and he wondered briefly if he could convince Oliver and Sara to his side, then would they three be enough to take on one hunter. Five total hunters… it wouldn't be an impossibility. It wouldn't be easy, but the three of them could possibly take each hunter. With all the hunters gone, Malcolm would be safe for a time since the next generation of hunters were far from ready.

Finished with his work, Malcolm stood and found his bow. He glanced over the room's two unconscious occupants. He could kill them; it would be all too easy for the Dark Archer. But he realizes if he did such a thing then Oliver would be more or less swayed to helping Viper and not him. Unlike the hunter, Malcolm knows how to play his hand perfectly. The hunter had gone after Thea and begun to plant the seeds into Oliver- enemy of my enemy… and Malcolm wasn't willing to undo all that hard work just for a small taste of revenge; that could come later. He found that he was glaring at Felicity; after all, it was because of her that the other machine hadn't gone off.

Malcolm could bide his time; he was a patient man. Right now, his concern was keeping Thea safe and getting her to leave with him…

**Note:** Next chapter Sara and Nyssa talk which won't be like the show; some similar dialogue but I'm planning to change it up already. Malcolm continues to be his devious self.


	21. Freedom's Price

**Chapter 21**

Sara ran the entire way back to the clock tower; she wasn't sure what she had expected when she ran. There had always been the chance for League members to come after her, hunters, but she hadn't considered that Nyssa, herself, would travel away from the sanctuary to come. Sara wasn't sure what she felt about that; it had broken what little of her heart that was left when she disappeared on Nyssa.

Even now, that portion of her emotions was sealed off; Oliver helped rekindle something, but with him, it was more of feeling alive in the moment. She was sure he felt the same. They had been through so much, and they lived with the thought that today could be the last. It was an impossible instinct to shake, and every night she shared with Oliver reminded her of that fact. That wasn't to say she didn't care for Oliver. Things were just so different now; she couldn't let herself get attached even to him. With Viper and then Nyssa showing up, this was exactly why. She'd always be hunted unless…

One thing Malcolm had right was if all the hunters were dead. There would still be normal League members to contend with, but Ra's would be less likely to risk them over ex-members. The League's numbers were finite, and without the hunters, she could get a chance to breath from the running. There was always option two; one she couldn't help but consider since Oliver and her dragged Malcolm back to the Foundry.

She hadn't just wanted to rid Starling of the Merlyn when she asked Felicity to find Viper. There had been a more selfish reason, and it was simple. Viper couldn't grant her a release from service, but if Sara brought Viper her prey, the hunter could request it of Ra's for services rendered. Now with Nyssa in town, the younger Al Ghul had just that power. If Sara could find her, she could technically trade Malcolm's freedom for her own. It was terrible to consider it, but she had to protect her family as well. When hunters found her, they would not hesitate in hurting her loved ones; she had to do whatever was necessary. The Canary could only pray though that Nyssa would be in a negotiable mood. No goodbyes had a tendency to sour relationships.

Once at the top of the tower, she fetched a few items and moved to go outside for a vantage point when a floor board creaked. Sara spun fast, bo-staff in hand, but she just caught air. For a moment, she considered that it had been her imagination, but then, there Nyssa was. She was standing amongst the shadows, no weapons drawn, but Sara had always been good at reading the younger Al Ghul. Her eyes told the entire story: why?

The ex-member stood at attention, and didn't attack again. She waited to see what Nyssa would do, and as her ex-lover approached, she wasn't entirely sure what to expect. She wasn't shocked that Nyssa found her; this was the best vantage point in the city. Any League member could see that.

Nyssa wound her hand into Sara's hair and yanked her head back, knife to her throat. Her anger blinded her for a brief second before she realized her relief at seeing Sara alive. Unable to help herself, she leaned in and kissed Sara with the passion of months missed. At first, there was no response, but soon, Sara had one arm wrapped around Nyssa's waist and had the other assassin pulled in close.

When they broke to breath, Sara couldn't help but joke, "I wasn't sure if you were going to stab me or not."

"I hadn't entirely decided myself when I arrived," Nyssa admitted blatantly. She reluctantly untangled herself from Sara's grasp, but they remained within touching distance. There was an undeniable tension in the air, but it was hard to read if that was due to the potential of violence or the sexual frustration of both women. They had been apart for so long.

Sara wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch Nyssa again, but she refrained. They were still on opposite sides. "You shouldn't be here," she said breathlessly. "Did your father send you?"

"I came alone," Nyssa frowned. "I wanted to see you and convince you to come back with me."

Sara could read between the lines when needed, and she saw it clearly. Nyssa had disobeyed orders and had come here to save her. The Al Ghul had to know that Viper was in town, and Sara could see the relief mixed with worry on the other assassin's face. "I'm not going back," she said, but her conviction sounded weaker than it had against Al Owar. "I can't. I have to protect my family." 

"You are putting them in far more danger by staying," Nyssa said, and Sara turned her back in frustration. Against any other assassin, she never would have done that, but with Nyssa, she felt safe. She did not think she would be stabbed in the back, and currently with her emotions running high, she wasn't entirely thinking straight.

Sara hated when Nyssa was right, which was an abundance of the time. Perhaps she was being selfish after all; she had gotten the taste of freedom again and she couldn't let it go. Was this all truly because she had to keep her family safe when she had actually put them in far more danger by being near them? She regretted not running as soon as Al Owar showed up. She hesitated for a moment before requesting, "Release me. I won't be any more danger nor will my family."

Nyssa frowned, and she hated that it wasn't something she could do for Sara. Her father rarely released people, and he had come to regret it. As his daughter, she did hold the power to relinquish any hold the League had on Sara, but she didn't want to. If she did, she would never see Sara again, and her father would be less than pleased. The League was, sadly, her priority, and she couldn't let her emotions cloud the issue. "I cannot do that," she said. "The only release from the League is death, and that is the only thing I can grant you."

"Your father released Malcolm Merlyn," Sara argued, turning back to her ex-lover. Nyssa looked less than thrilled with the current heading of the conversation. She had not come here to discuss that traitor.

"And look at where that got the League," Nyssa sighed. She understood the draw of family, the need to protect them above all else, but the League was Sara's family now. Nyssa couldn't understand why she didn't see that. "My father will not release any one else, and I cannot release you."

Sara stared at Nyssa, and the assassin reached out and stroked Sara's cheek. She continued with, "For that I am sorry. But you need to come home."

Sara pulled back from the touch even though the action only hurt them both. "I can't leave."

"Your family will be safer if you leave," Nyssa started again, but she watched as Sara tensed up. Whatever was bothering her had her on edge.

"You and I both know," Sara stated, "that me leaving will not protect my family completely. Hunters and collateral. My father is already in the hospital."

"Viper has been told to stand down for the moment. Your family is in no immediate danger," Nyssa explained.

"Immediate," she scoffed. She always hated how easily the League, or in this case Nyssa, knew how to manipulate people. Had she been who she was five years ago, she wouldn't have thought on Nyssa's wordplay, but she knew better now. Her family would only be safe from Viper for the moment, as long as Nyssa was in town. "You can't expect me…" she began but Nyssa quickly stepped closer to the younger Lance sister.

"Do you truly believe that a hunter would be allowed to touch a daughter of Ra's Al Ghul?"

"Collateral," she hissed thinking on some of their past destruction and the clean-up that followed. "Viper is not the only threat to my family or to you."

There was a slight pause as the assassin narrowed her gaze. "Yes, where is Malcolm Merlyn?" Nyssa asked. She hadn't heard if Viper had been successful in making contact yet, but she didn't doubt it. The hunter was quick and efficient when needed to be.

Sara had to play this right if she wanted any chance of freedom and to keep her family safe. "We have him," she explained but didn't elaborate on the we. She was sure Nyssa was intelligent enough to know who the vigilante was, but she wasn't going to spell it out for her ex-lover either. "We have talked about what to do with him."

"Oh?" Nyssa smiled. She could take a guess at what Sara had wanted to do. "So he still lives?"

"He's more useful alive currently," she said this pointedly to Nyssa.

"Are you truly trying to bribe me?" she asked, her face masking the shock. She had hoped that she would be enough to convince Sara to return, but the Canary was adamant in not returning. Having Malcolm Merlyn has a bargaining chip was smart, and Nyssa could retract her earlier statement. Her father might be willing to deal since he did not care who brought him the traitor; he just wanted the rabid dog put down.

Sara tried to hide her smile at the thought of other ways she could bribe Nyssa. "And if I am?"

Nyssa finally closed the distance and touched Sara gently. "Is this truly what you want? To be away from us?"

"Not you," Sara whispered. "But I can't go back."

This seemingly got through to the Al Ghul, and she nodded and frowned. "I cannot make guarantees, but I will speak with my father." She turned to leave, glancing over her shoulder as she did so. "Try not to kill him. My father has specific orders that he wants that man to suffer first. If he's dead…"

Frowning, she nodded. Sara had almost been looking forward to that. She would have answered Nyssa, but by the time, she came back to herself and away from her thoughts, her lover was gone. Vanished perfectly even though it was the middle of the day.

Suddenly, a small part of her felt bad. She could tell Oliver didn't want to hand Malcolm over specifically because of what awaited the man, but here Sara was going behind his back to deal Merlyn's life away for hers. However, it was only a small part that had any semblance of empathy; the rest of her was content with what she was doing. This was her family, and she didn't care what she had to do to protect them. As long as there were hunters in Starling city and she was running, they would never be that way.

**Note:** Yes this was a complete Sara/Nyssa chapter which means only to be fair I have to have a Felicity/Oliver chapter only… but that one is a bit farther away (only because of everything going on currently). I promise more Olicity moments now that Nyssa is in town and Sara's eyes are turned elsewhere. 


	22. Mistakes

**Chapter 22**

It had taken him a considerable longer time to calm Thea then he had anticipated; when Oliver realized the time, he knew he had to get back to the Foundry. He hated leaving Sara out there on her own, but he knew she could handle herself. He wasn't sure if she meant to disappear or if she wanted to track down this newcomer; either or, he wished she would have waited. Just because someone could do it on their own didn't mean they had to. He cared about her, and he found it oddly ironic that she was just as closed off as he once had been. It had been through Digg and Felicity's hard work that forced him to open himself back up and start trusting again. He just had to show that to Sara as well.

Arriving at the Foundry with a latte specifically for Felicity, Oliver descended the stairs at the back still, and he couldn't wait until the area was deemed clear. At the bottom, he froze and his instincts immediately kicked in. The first thing his eyes sought out were the two bodies of his friends; from this distance he couldn't tell if they were dead. The thought of Felicity… or Digg for that matter… dead caused a bubble to rise up in his chest, but years on the island had taught him to contain his emotions.

While it hurt to not check on them right away, he honed in and tried to determine if the threat was gone. From the corner of his eye, he could see the chair Malcolm had been tied to tipped over. The Dark Archer was long gone, and while Oliver couldn't relax completely, he finally made his way over to the closest teammate. He checked Diggle's pulse and breathed a sigh of relief at finding something. Once he was sure that the other man was simply unconscious, he rushed to Felicity's side. He found himself fearful of checking her pulse; he wasn't sure how he'd react if he found nothing.

He closed his eyes in thanks when he found a steady heartbeat, and then he slowly ran his hands down her neck to check for damage. Finding nothing obvious, he turned her head to see the blood dried at the top; she had taken a nasty hit from behind. She would be concussed but otherwise… Deciding it would be better for her to wake on something other than the floor, he slowly picked her up, and he felt her fighting for consciousness as she tried to weakly wrap her arms around him.

"I got you," he whispered as he set her on the table. At first, she didn't let go, but with more reassurance from Oliver, she mumbled something incoherently and rolled away.

With her taken care of, Oliver returned to Digg's side and heaved the man up and took him to a seat. Oliver didn't think they'd appreciate waking up next to the other, so he hoped Digg wouldn't mind the chair. Snatching an ice pack from the first aid kit with smelling salts, he returned to his teammate's side.

Diggle woke with a start, nowhere near as violent as when Oliver came out of unconsciousness, but enough so, that Ollie had to block the first punch. Moments later, Digg seemed to realize that the threat was gone, and it was his friend in front of him.

He stood on shaky legs and shook his head. "I'm gonna kill him," he growled as he met Ollie's gaze. He glanced beyond Queen and noticed Felicity. His entire demeanor immediately changed from anger to complete concern. He had been knocked out first, and his last coherent thought had been worry for the IT girl. He gripped Ollie's shoulder painfully and asked, "Is she..?"

"Unconscious like you," Ollie explained. "What happened?" There was a sense of urgency in his voice. They made their way over to the table, and Ollie pulled out an icepack and handed it to Digg. Then, he turned his ministrations back onto Felicity and tried to gently wake her. Her head wound looked more serious than Digg's, and as someone who probably wasn't use to head injuries, she wouldn't recover as easily.

"I don't know," Digg admitted outright. "He must have been able to slip the restraints for a while and was just waiting for you and Sara to bail out."

"Thea needed me," Ollie said in an attempt to explain himself. "And I wanted to find Sara," he added as an afterthought.

"Didn't mean it like that," he replied, and he meant that. He understood the importance of family, and he found it a tad ironic of how hard it had been in the past to get Oliver to pay attention to his mother and sister and ignore hood duties. Now though, Ollie was blatantly distracted by them, and his attention was divided in too many directions- the mirakuru, Viper, the rest of the League, Sara, family, Malcolm… the list could go on and on, and Digg was shocked how well the young man had held it together thus far.

Felicity groaned and clenched her eyes shut; leaning in close, Ollie tried to coax her back to the land of the living. He whispered in her ear, but when she continued to ignore him, he pulled out the ace. "He touched your set up," he said, and that got her attention. She opened her eyes and went to sit up, but dizziness obviously overtook her and she settled half-way up.

"Who did what?" she asked at first a bit hysterical before she then groaned and touched her head.

"Took us by surprise," Digg continued. "He got me from behind. Didn't see it coming."

"Oh what happened?" Felicity started as she began to come around a bit more. The fuzziness in her head began to clear enough that she could focus on actually what was going on. There was a brief second more of confusion before her mouth formed an 'o'. "Mr. Merlyn caught me in a choke hold," she whispered touching her throat gingerly.

"He knocked you out if the bump on your head is anything to go by," Ollie smiled reassuringly. It wouldn't need stitches thankfully, and he grabbed a washcloth to wipe away some of the blood. She had done this enough in the past for him; he could return the favor at the very least. "This is my fault," he whispered with a frown. The thought had been plaguing him since he saw his two friends on the floor of the Foundry. "If I hadn't let him go that first time, none of this would have happened. Thea, Sara, you Digg, and Felicity twice now."

"Oliver," Diggle began recognizing the destructive tone in his friend's voice.

"You can't tell me that I'm wrong. Viper wouldn't have come here if I had killed him. Everything that has happened is because of him… again," he growled. "I just couldn't though. There had been enough death that night, and I had told Tommy that I didn't do it. I couldn't make myself a liar once I saw I hadn't."

Felicity reached out and stopped him from cleaning her wound anymore. "This isn't your fault," she said.

"Viper could have come here anyway," Digg said. "She could have been after Sara instead."

"If I had…" he tried again, but Felicity shook her head.

"It's not even really his fault," Felicity said with a frown. "The only one responsible is Viper. She chose to take lives." She paused before adding, "Well it is his fault for the earthquake in the Glades, and all those deaths last year… but what I meant was is that you can't blame him now for Thea or myself… well except for this," she said pointing to her head, "because yeah he did that. I'm babbling again aren't I?"

As much as Oliver wanted to believe in Felicity's words, he found that he still doubted the sincerity of it. How could he not blame himself for this? When he had failed with the Count, it had come back to bite him in the ass, and that's all he saw: a repeat. There was no lying about it- being a hero was hard. People wanted the best of him, which meant no more bodies, but it seemed that every time he let someone live, it came back on him in horrible ways. The Count, Floyd Lawton, China White… Malcolm Merlyn… Just another name on his list of sins.

Somehow lost in his thoughts, Oliver didn't notice Felicity had stood and gone to her computer. She had taken a tentative seat once Digg had moved. While she wanted to continue to reassure Ollie, she wanted to check her computers first, and when she saw that Malcolm had in fact touched them, she made a sound of distress. This snapped Oliver from his thoughts, and he was immediately at her side.

"Are you okay?" he asked in all seriousness. "Is it your head? Do you need a hospital?" He wasn't sure how he would explain how his EA had a head injury, but he was sure he could think of a somewhat believable excuse… it just couldn't be his bike again. The rate he visited the hospital with that excuse probably made the doctors think he was the worst driver on this planet.

"I thought you were joking," she choked out. "He touched my baby!" Felicity started to type furiously in an attempt to figure out what exactly Mr. Merlyn had been up to on her computer and to undo any damage he had done. The electronics of the computer itself were fine, but he had moved files. Things were out of place, and Felicity couldn't stand for that. "You need to go," she said motioning with her hands a bow and arrow, "and take care of him. He moved things. It will take me forever…" She faded off. "Oh never mind, all fixed now." She nodded happily to herself.

Unable to help himself, Ollie laughed, "Now you want me to put an arrow in him?" The rage dissipated slowly as he watched Felicity smile at him.

"Well no," she said. "I fixed it. All good here."

"Remind me to never touch your computer," Digg said as he tried to reel in the whiplash from her mood swing.

"You can touch it," she said in exasperation. "Just don't move things, or delete files, or mess with my save files… actually, yeah you're right. Don't touch it." The entire time she was grinning; however, she found it fading when she noticed Oliver was grabbing a few weapons and packing his suit into a duffel.

"It's still daytime man," Digg said also seeing this. Night would be upon them soon enough, but it wasn't safe for Oliver to go running around in his leathers with the sun still up. He'd probably attract a lot of unwanted attention.

"I only need my bow for Merlyn," Oliver said. "He already knows who I am."

"You can't go after him alone," Felicity said standing up and blocking his path. "What are you going to do?"

"What I should have done," he growled. "I made a mistake with Malcolm." It was oddly reminiscent of what he had said about Viper only a few days prior.

"No," Felicity said staying in his way. It had been awhile since she had purposefully kept him from going out, but she could tell when he wasn't thinking straight. "Oliver…"

"He attacked you," he growled. "He could have killed you."

"But he didn't," she frowned. "He could have but he didn't." She sighed when she realized that it was going to take a lot more to get through to him. "And you can't exactly blame him for," she said motioning with her fingers running away, "that. We were all talking about handing him over to that psychopathic League member… Digg's words."

"Look, I am the last person to take Malcolm's side," Digg added. "But she's right. He escaped, but he could have done a lot worse."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" he asked. "I'm out of options here! Kill him, hand him over, what else can I do?"

Felicity was the one who answered, "Help him?" She blanched at her own words, but she could tell it was what Oliver needed to hear. The two prior options required him to be the man he was, no the hero he strived to be. She worried if he killed Malcolm or handed him to the League the damage done would be permanent. The vigilante would no longer be the Arrow but the Hood again. She couldn't let him do that even if she didn't think Malcolm was deserving of their help. Oliver was a good man, and she wasn't going to let anyone ruin him.

"How is killing the assassins after him any better?" Oliver asked. He grappled over such a decision. It was basically asking himself whose life was worth more: Malcolm or Viper's?

"It's not," Digg said touching Oliver's shoulder with a firm grip. "But there is a difference between them." He made sure Queen was looking at him before he continued. "They're not Tommy's father. Your best friend's father."

"There's always another way," Felicity added repeating her own words. "You could get him to leave town or maybe there's a way to get the hunters to back off." She thought back to what data had been moved around on her computer. "I think that's what he was doing on my computer. He looked up footage on Nyssa."

"She might be important," Digg nodded. "We should find her."

Oliver stared down at his bow, clutched tightly in his hand. There were really only two choices on the table: help Viper or help Malcolm. There wasn't a way around this, and after hearing his team, his friends speak, he berated himself for letting his emotions take control. He knew better than most that vengeance was messy and unneeded. He didn't want to help Viper, and a large part of him didn't want to help Malcolm either… but at this point, it was the lesser of two evils. He also had to consider the fact he was Thea's father; she was still stewing over it, but the fact she hadn't told the police the truth spoke volumes to Oliver. She had been without a father for so long now, and he had saved her from Viper…

"Malcolm must still have accounts," Ollie said taking charge. "Can you find them Felicity?" When she looked to the bow in his hands, he smiled, "No I don't plan on shooting him today, but we should probably find him before Viper or this Nyssa."

Felicity beamed at him and jumped back to her computer working hard to track potential offshore accounts that Mr. Merlyn could still be using.

Across town, Slade listened to his men finish their report about the newest batch of Mirakuru test subjects. Only one survivor thus far, and it was some punk from the streets apparently. At first, this held little interest to Mr. Wilson. He had large plans, larger than Sebastian Blood could imagine, so he let the mouse play and perfect the formula with that new centrifuge.

Soon though, Slade would crush the man and then enjoyably take everything away from Oliver… and that's when he noticed the picture of the one survivor. He had seen that boy before; he had done a lot of recon prior to setting up base. The best way to fight one's enemy was to know them, and he had spent some time shadowing Oliver and his family. That was how he recognized the photo of the boy; it was Thea Queen's, or Merlyn's, boyfriend.

With a chuckle, Slade couldn't hide the grin on his face. It was too perfect. Ms. Queen loved the boy, and when she realized he was missing, she would try and find him. Slade just had to be sure she would and thus come right into a trap. Thea wasn't that important of a target to Slade beyond how he could hurt Oliver by hurting his sister, but the girl had such potential on other fronts. He could use her to get to Oliver, get to Mr. Merlyn, and get to the League. He considered the last call he had made to the assassins, and he smirked. She had made her plans clear, and while those had disregarded the current assassin in town, Slade knew who to throw his cards in with. Allies were always useful, and once he perfected the formula…

This boy would be a perfect pawn, Slade thought. He could simply fetch Ms. Queen on his own, but doing this would be so much sweeter. The act of betrayal always made the deepest cut.

**Note:** I found a use for Roy! Yay, even though he's not prominent in this story, at least he has a place… Well another step in the right direction for Oliver. He's truly struggling internally with to kill or not to kill. He keeps noticing the trend of how if he lets people live, it comes back to bite him, but he still wants to be this better man. Hopefully, he can find this happy medium.

Nyssa and Viper return next chapter. I know there is a lot going on, but I promise every thread will be tied up before I finish this… even though we are nowhere near the end. I am planning to AU the episode that deals with the Markov device now as well. Beyond that and the season finale, I probably won't follow the tv show for anything else.  
I do apologize for the lateness of this chapter; I have the flu. It's hard to write when the toilet is sort of your best friend. I'll try to update as soon as I can though.


	23. Release

**Chapter 23**

Viper had been relaxing when Nyssa came storming back in; she barely gave the Al Ghul a glance as she checked her current stock of poisons. She hadn't used much since arriving in Starling, but she wanted to see which specific ones might be suitable when she was allowed to go hunting again.

Nyssa stalked to one side of the room and leaned over a table. She didn't speak, and she didn't pay the hunter any mind. At least she was until Viper spoke, "Your father won't go for the deal."

The assassin heir had one of two ways to respond: one of which was in agreement. Her father would not release Sara in return for Malcolm. However, that was not how she chose to answer; instead, she growled, "You followed me?"

"I was hoping Mr. Merlyn would be foolish enough to attack you," Viper admitted. "But then, he can't do much tied up with Sara's friends." It explained his sudden absence, but she doubted he'd stay wherever he was for long. She had been slowly working Oliver into a corner; either he gave her what she wanted or she'd go after his family again. This time they wouldn't walk away alive, and he had to know that. "I might have been ordered to stand down, but loopholes." She grinned as she said this; it was true that she couldn't directly go after Malcolm currently, but if he attacked Nyssa, Ra's wouldn't punish her for protecting his daughter. Viper just wanted to clean this mess up as soon as possible and leave Starling. She had had enough of this particular city and Oliver Queen.

"He'd still have you whipped," Nyssa said turning towards the hunter. Her father had never been fond of loopholes, and he wouldn't appreciate Viper using one. Her father had asked the hunter to stand down to keep Nyssa out of the potential crossfire, and using a loophole in the orders was exactly opposite of that. Nonetheless, Nyssa couldn't blame Viper; it was her job, and she probably despised being told to hold off… especially when her prey was so close.

Viper waved off the punishment and continued, "Just as surely as he won't give Sara her freedom. He will see no reason to pay if he can get it for free." I.E. it was a hunter's duty, and Viper would complete the task. At the end of the day, Ra's wouldn't reward her anything for this either; it was her job after all.

"I know," Nyssa finally said and lowered her gaze. "I do not know how to convince Sara to return with me."

"Threats work well," Viper grinned as jumped down from the table she had been sitting on. "Convince her it's safer with the League for herself and her family." Her bow was slung over her shoulder, and she observed the Al Ghul carefully. She didn't want to push the other woman into doing anything and have it come back to bite her.

"Have you not threatened her family enough?" Nyssa asked, unable to hide the contempt in her voice. She felt terrible for what had happened to Sara's father because of the hunter. He had been incredibly lucky.

"That was an accident," Viper reiterated. "Direct threats get the job done." Kidnapping Thea had been just that, and if it hadn't been for Oliver's interference, Malcolm would be tied up in some unknown warehouse, just him, her, and the loveliness of his screams to keep them company.

Nyssa considered the hunter, and while she was not thrilled with the prospect of hurting Sara further, she was out of options herself. If she couldn't convince Sara to come back, she would have to kill the other woman. It was not something she would relish, but it was League code. If it came down to that though, Nyssa would do it herself; she would not let Viper take Sara's life, hunter or not.

"She'd hate me if I went after one of her family members," Nyssa whispered more to herself then Viper, but the hunter heard it nonetheless.

"Then let her hate me," Viper suggested. She was bored and antsy; this was not her fight, but it would give her something to do. There was also the added advantage that the quicker she was able to convince Nyssa to leave, the faster she could go back to Malcolm. "I will track down one of her family members, take them, and then, you can convince her that it would be better to return with you."

"And if she doesn't," Nyssa said meeting the hunter's gaze evenly, "_I_ will be the one to kill her."

Bowing her head respectfully, Viper conceded to that and held up a vial of poison. "Small doses, it will work as a tranquilizer and keep the victim in a delirious state. They will not even understand what is happening, so this would prevent any emotional trauma." Having two, Viper relinquished one to Nyssa.

"Large doses will kill?" Nyssa asked for confirmation to which the hunter nodded. "What is the margin between the two?" She had done some dabbling in poisons, and she had done her training under the same person who had taught Viper her alchemy skills. However, she had not worked on it for anywhere near as long as Viper had.

"Down the entire vial and it will kill you," Viper dead-panned, but when the Al Ghul daughter glared at her, she quickly gave the correct doses. The difference between being fatal and not was miniscule, and for anyone who had not worked with poisons, they would not be able to determine the proper amount. However, Viper was sure Nyssa would have no difficulties with it.

"Who will you take?" Nyssa said pocketing the vial. If they were going to do this, she wanted to be sure Viper had clear cut boundaries and no loopholes to jump through. She wanted this to go as cleanly as possible, and the only way to do that was to set rules. Technically since Nyssa wasn't here on orders, Viper didn't have to listen, but she could tell at how the hunter stood at attention that Viper would acquiesce this time. She had to wonder as to the reasons, but she could at least guess that one had to do with getting her to leave as soon as possible. Until she was gone, there wasn't anything else the hunter could do.

"The father has been through a lot," Viper began, but with a single glare from Nyssa, she added, "So I will not touch him. I am not a fan of being shot at by police officers anyway." The father would have been perfect- injured and the special to Sara beyond words… but the hunter could make do with someone else. "She has a mother in another city, and it wouldn't take me long to find her… or I could go after her sister. Neither of which know she's alive as of yet."

"You will not cause them additional harm," Nyssa said. "You will not them unconscious and nothing more, and you will not kill anyone else." Viper bristled at that; she didn't mind not having to kill, but she despised being told specifically to avoid it. Sometimes death was unavoidable. "Which one in your opinion would be better bait?" In these matters, Nyssa would let Viper decide; the Al Ghul was not a hunter. She killed her targets and rarely had to play games with them like this. To her, either would work, and the only difference she could see would be the time required to go after the mother.

"The mother," Viper said quickly, and when Nyssa narrowed her gaze, Viper explained, "The vigilante has a soft spot for the sister. I would prefer to avoid angering him anymore than I already have. After all, when you leave I still have to find Malcolm Merlyn, and I'd prefer not to have the Arrow hunting me in turn." She could take Oliver easily, but she wasn't in the mood to have a repeat of their fights. It was time consuming and gave Malcolm the opportunity to escape. The last thing she wanted was to chase him across multiple cities.

There was also the possibility that Oliver had her name tagged too and was watching for her. When she bought a plane ticket, it would be under Alec, and ARGUS did not have that name in their database… but she did tell it to Ms. Smoak and Mr. Queen. They would see her leaving, and it could help to settle the dust… before she went and kicked it back up again.

"Go then," Nyssa growled. "I will stay here and monitor the situation." She watched as the hunter took her leave to the airport; by tomorrow, they would have their bait in place, and Sara would have to come running. When the Canary did, Nyssa would do everything in her power to convince her ex-lover that coming back would be best for everyone involved. She did not want to hurt Sara's family, but she had a job to do just as Viper did.

However once alone, Nyssa couldn't help but return to a roof near the clock tower. Dusk was beginning to settle, and she was hoping to catch a glance of Sara. While waiting, there wasn't much else to do, but she did want to keep an eye on the ex-League member. Like Viper, she didn't believe that Sara and the others would be able to keep their hands on Malcolm Merlyn for long. He had been well-trained by one of their most respected members, and when he was released, it had been at a great loss to the League. Ra's had considered the elder Merlyn one of their best archers, so to lose him… To this day, Nyssa wasn't even sure what had compelled her father to release the man, and he didn't speak of it. The first time she had heard Malcolm's name in years had been when word about the Glades had reached them in Nanda Parbet.

"I had wondered how long it would take you to return," Malcolm's voice drifted across the rooftop. Nyssa slowly stood from her crouched position and turned towards the ex-League member. He was dressed in the standard attire, bow in hand, and cowl in place. She allowed her own bow to slip into her hand. "You were always predictable Nyssa."

"And I would have thought you would have escaped Oliver Queen quicker," she replied, her voice even. "I had expected you to show up sooner than this."

Even with the cowl in place, she could see that Malcolm was smirking. He had always been a bit egotistical, and while he hadn't taken a threatening stance yet, she was more than ready for _when_ this turned to blows. She thought to the poison Viper had given her and wondered if she had time to coat any weapon with it.

"I was waiting on you," he replied. "I'm a patient man, Nyssa. There was no need for me to track you down when I knew you'd come here eventually." Once he realized what Sara and Nyssa were to each other, he had staked out the woman's tower. He had figured it only had to be a matter of time before the Al Ghul heir returned. "I must say though did your father not train you better? You should have checked your surroundings." Moments later, an arrow went whizzing by her head.

Falling into a roll, Nyssa let loose two of her own arrows which Malcolm easily side-stepped. Consider the man had been shot and tied up for the better part of the day, he was still incredibly agile. The two assassins traded an additional three arrows that all missed their intended target before they were close enough to exchange real blows.

Nyssa ducked the first punch and caught Malcolm in the kidney, but when he fell back, he used it to his advantage. Balancing on his hands, he kicked Nyssa across the face before he recovered back to his feet. She didn't stay on her knees long as she came back up and swung her bow. Expecting this, Malcolm let it hit his forearm, and he felt the vibrations run deep into the bone.

Using his other hand, he snatched the bow before she had a chance to pull away, and he pulled her taut against him and wrapped his arms around her, effectively pinning her. She threw her head forward and caught him in the nose. Stumbling away, nose most likely bleeding, Malcolm forced himself to recover and sidestep the next two hits that Nyssa threw.

While her bow was her preferred weapon, she wasn't getting any use out of it this close, so she flung it hard. The flying weapon caught Malcolm by surprise as it caught him across the face, and seconds later, Nyssa was coming at him with her sword drawn.

Trying not to grin, Malcolm used one hand to wield his bow and block her first three swings. With his other hand, he drew his sword and dropped to his knees. Nyssa obviously hadn't been expecting this as she didn't step away in time as the sword caught her across the abdomen. She tried not to cry out at the sudden blazing pain, and she had to step back, hand plastered to the wound. The sword she had was dropped and forgotten for the moment.

It wasn't deep nor fatal, but it did convince Nyssa that perhaps she had thought too highly of herself. She had given herself too much credit; Malcolm was well-trained, stronger, and had more years of practice behind him. It made her regret not pushing the subject of becoming a hunter with her father more; he had been adamant that she wouldn't join the hunter ranks, and she had simply accepted it. She should have fought more for it as the extra training would had been incredibly useful in this moment.

Malcolm gave the girl a moment to recover, and he kicked her the sword. He still abided by the League's code, and what he did to the Glades, he had considered a necessary loophole. The League existed to try and push back the wave of evil ruining this world, but they did it one person at a time. Malcolm had simply upped the stakes by going after all of the scum at once.

"Are you ready to continue?" Malcolm asked as if he was her trainer, and he watched her glare holes into him. However, she did pick up her sword, but this time, she waited until he came at her.

When he did, she used his momentum against him and ducked and stuck her leg out. Malcolm tripped, but he fell forward and got himself into a roll. He turned and was back on his feet in seconds and in time to block the next attack. Their blades clashed again; hers had come over the top, and he had his blade protecting his face.

Malcolm surprised Nyssa by dropping his sword and allowing her to come down on him, but before she could finish the attack, he had lunged in close and snatched her sword arm. Using his strength, he all but tossed her over his head. She wasn't able to recover in the air, and she hit the concrete roof on her side. Before she could get up, Malcolm kicked her hard in the abdomen and forced her to curl in on herself to protect her ribs. He fell and pressed his knee into her neck.

Nyssa clawed and tried to escape the hold, but based on the spots she was seeing, she only had thirteen seconds before she lost consciousness. She tried to heave him off of her with a well-placed kick to the face, but he blocked it and held her leg at the awkward angle. If he wanted, he could break it and incapacitate her for months. However, he refrained from doing so and allowed the Al Ghul daughter the pleasantness of oblivion.

Once she was out, Malcolm stood and brushed his leathers clean. Retrieving his bow and hers, he gathered up all evidence that he had ever been here. He didn't need anyone finding him too early, especially that hunter, so this time, he checked every corner of the roof to be sure that no arrows were left behind. When he had completed that task, he returned to Nyssa and bound her hands and feet and tossed her unceremoniously over his shoulder. Now he had to find a safe place to conduct business and convince Ra's Al Ghul it was in his daughter's and his best interest to call the hunters off. With a smile, Malcolm departed the roof.

**Note:** Okay I'm not sure how a fight between Malcolm and Nyssa would actually go, but I took into account that they're both a bit cocky… and the fact Oliver got one up on Nyssa on the show but he barely beat Merlyn. So viola? Plus, I needed him to win, so there's that.  
The next chapter will finish up the heir to the demon AU episode, and then we're move on to more important matters: like Talia, Slade, Moira and Thea… Oh and more Oliver/Felicity because that's fun to write.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the small fight scene. Till next time


	24. The Rift

**Note:** One quick thing before this chapter starts: there is a lot of back and forth between all the different groups, so I marked the changes with periods in this case for ease of reading.

**Chapter 24**

"What do you mean gone?" Sara hissed towards Felicity. The ex-League member was anything but amused by this turn of events. She had barely been gone for twenty four hours, and they somehow lose Malcolm Merlyn. It wasn't that she blamed them; she had known it was only a matter of time before he slipped the restraints. They were both trained by the League, and escaping was one of the lessons they had drilled into them.

Felicity frowned and waved her hands around the Foundry. "Do you see him anywhere around? No? That means he's gone." She wasn't thrilled by Sara's attitude, and less so by the fact the Canary was blaming them for Mr. Merlyn's escape. "I'm trying to track him now," she continued turning back to the computer. She figured Oliver could deal with Sara.

"It was when both of us left," Oliver said pulling Sara away from Felicity. The IT girl was still sore from the fact Malcolm had touched her computer, and that had put her in a bit of a foul mood.

"Where did you go?" Sara asked once they were out of earshot of both Digg and Felicity. "I thought you'd stay and watch him."

Ollie's eyes widened, and he looked baffled. "I had a sister to check on. I have family too."

"My father," Sara started, and Ollie gripped her shoulder to silence her. He was also a bit short on his temper today after everything that had happened; his actions had once again almost cost him too much… Felicity being attacked had put him on edge again.

"Your family is in just as much danger as mine," Ollie nodded. "I understand, but I couldn't leave her… and then, you disappeared without a word. I was worried." His gaze softened and he frowned. "We have another League member in our city, and you vanished without a trace."

"It's not like you don't do the exact same thing," Sara said accusingly. She didn't like the idea of being on a leash, and Nyssa's business with her was none of Oliver's. She understood that perhaps her anger was misplaced since she had a soft spot for Thea too, and the younger Queen couldn't have been dealing well with the current events.

"But I usually have my comm, and if not, Felicity won't waste any time in tracking me down," he joked trying to break the tension. "You need to tell me what's going on." Trust was a lot to ask of a League member, but Sara lowered her head and sighed loudly. Ollie released her and took a step back.

"Nyssa's here for me," she admitted.

"Because you ran?"

"Because of a lot more."

…..

One air flight attendant and two security guards dead later, and Viper had returned to Starling City with the ex-Mrs. Lance in tow. It had been an unfortunate incident that the three had stumbled upon the older woman as Viper was boarding a plane from the strip; their bodies would most likely be found in a few days' time when the baggage claim began to reek of decay.

The assassin was of course long gone, and they would never find or implicate her. She was meticulous when it came to DNA evidence of any sort, and knowing police, they would claim it was a love affair gone wrong or something along those lines. She had purposefully used a knife to kill the three as an arrow would have practically pointed to Starling City.

Dumping the unconscious Mrs. Lance on a table, Viper stretched and yawned. She had been too busy to catch any sort of sleep in the last forty-eight hours, and it was starting to creep up on her. Outside, the sun was still shining, and based on the dose Viper had given Dinah, the woman would be unconscious until dusk. With Nyssa currently gone and unwilling to initiate contact with Sara herself, Viper found a spot she could doze until the heiress returned.

…..

Across town, Malcolm stared at the visibly upset Nyssa; even with her hands tied behind her back and chained to the wall, feet bound and mouth gagged, her body language screamed revenge when she was freed.

The Dark Archer only smiled at his prey and checked a nearby computer; while not as adept with hacking as Ms. Smoak was, he knew his way around certain systems. He noticed that a plane had recently landed from Central City, and while Viper's alter ego had not come through security this time, he was sure she had returned. He wasn't entirely sure why Viper had gone to Central City, and he wasn't that interested either.

"Only a matter of time now," he said, reaching for his bow and League attire. While he did not want to directly tussle with the hunter again, he needed her to show up before he could do much else. He was sure Ra's would give him whatever he wanted in return for his daughter's safety, but Malcolm was no fool. He wasn't going to risk a hunter breaking ranks and attacking him nonetheless, so before he did any sort of bargain, he had to be sure Viper was either as helpless as Nyssa or dead. It would be the only way to ensure he had time to convince Thea to leave with him and disappear.

…..

Slade sat back in his chair thoughtfully and smiled as the pieces slowly fell into place. Even with a few odd pieces on the board, Slade could still see the end game perfectly in sight. Some issues had arisen that he hadn't expected such as the hunter, Viper, but that blip had actually turned in his favor more recently.

"Nyssa Al Ghul has been captured," Isabel said stepping into the room. She stood before Slade and had a grim look on her face. "And it wasn't your men."

This captured Slade's attention, and he turned to face Isabel. Anger was written across his features. "What do you mean it wasn't one of my men?" Behind him, Shado cooed to calm him, and he forced himself to relax. It was just another blip in his plan.

"Apparently Malcolm Merlyn has taken her with the intention of bargaining for his continued freedom," she explained, unfazed by his anger. She had seen worst moods, and nothing was broken yet.

"Has he done that yet?" Slade practically growled, and when Isabel said that he seemed to be waiting, the former ASIS relaxed considerably. "Has Ra's Al Ghul been informed of his daughter's missing nature?"

"No sir," Isabel said. "The hunter doesn't seem to know either. She returned from Central City a few hours prior with Mrs. Lance and is thus waiting."

"This is perfect," Slade chuckled. It was even better than he had originally planned. "Send one of the men to inform this hunter of her missing colleague."

"Then what sir?" Isabel asked unsure entirely of what this plan involved. She hadn't been entirely thrilled with the prospect of upsetting the League originally, but Slade had promised that they wouldn't have even known that they took Nyssa. The action had simply been meant to get Ra's Al Ghul's attention, but now, Malcolm had done all the leg work for them.

"Then we wait," he smiled. "Before long, we will have everything we need to tear Oliver's world down around him."

….

Viper had been relaxing and was waking from a delightful nap when she realized she was no longer alone in the room. Dinah was still secured and unconscious, but there was someone else. Muscles tight with apprehension and anxiety, but she kept the façade of still being asleep.

Even with her eyes closed, Viper could practically sense where this man was, so she dropped from her resting spot just as a shot rang out. It struck where she had been laying, but when she looked to the spot, she could see that it would have missed regardless if she had moved. She found it odd that someone would come after her but not have the ability to kill her. Whoever it was, his life ended the moment he entered her domain.

"Malcolm Merlyn sends his regards," the man called out, and Viper again had to wonder the stupidity of this man. If he was more skilled than her, she could understand him practically screaming his location at her, but otherwise, his actions so far baffled the hunter.

Sticking close to the shadows, Viper moved around the man, who was nothing exceptional. He stood cocky with a grin plastered to his face, and he had his gun relaxed in his grip. With her bow out of reach, Viper simply used two throwing knives to incapacitate the man- one in the leg and one in the arm. With a cry, he fell back and dropped the gun; Viper put two more in his chest. It would be fatal eventually considering she had put a bit of ricin on those, but she had enough time for a quick conversation with the man.

"Bitch," he growled through clench teeth as she came to stand over him.

"You're one of Malcolm Merlyn's men?" she asked cocking her head. She couldn't believe the gall of the former League member; she would have thought he would have found it in him to face her himself and not send some pathetic lackey to try.

"He wanted me to give you a message," the man chuckled as his eyes began to glaze over. Viper motioned for him to continue and held a hand to her ear.

"Don't keep me waiting in suspense."

"You'll join that other League bitch soon enough," he laughed, and Viper snatched him around the throat. She doubted he'd tell her anything else, so instead of letting the poison do its work, she slit his throat clean through. He'd bleed out and choke on it, all while unable to stop it. Too quick of a death for a vile creature like that, but Viper didn't have time to drag anything out if what he said was true.

Snatching her phone, Viper did the only thing she could think of in that moment and called a number she knew belonged to Nyssa. League members didn't usually carry phones with them when out on missions, but the hunter had to hope that Nyssa was just out and not captured. Ra's would have her head otherwise, and she held her breath when someone picked up.

"Good of you to join us Viper," Malcom said on the other end of the line, a smile probably plastered on his face. "I was wondering how long it would take you to call Nyssa."

"So you decided to speed up the process by sending a pathetic little man to try and kill me?" Viper hissed, anger overtaking every other emotion. "You'll be happy to know he's bled out on the floor, and you won't be far behind." There was silence on the other end, and for a moment, Viper was unsure what Mr. Merlyn was doing exactly. She had to tread carefully now, and she forced herself to calm. If Nyssa died or was injured while in the city Viper occupied, it would be on her; Ra's would not care for the circumstances. He would see this only as Viper's failure, and she would suffer for it. Taking a deep breath, Viper asked, "Is she alive?"

"What do you take me for?" Malcolm growled on the other end. "She's unharmed."

Viper could garner a guess what he wanted Nyssa for, but she wasn't sure why he would converse with her. "What do you want from me Mr. Merlyn?" She was expendable in the League, so her best guess would be that he wanted her dead. It was the only way to guarantee until he made that deal with Ra's Al Ghul that she wouldn't slit his throat for touching Nyssa.

"I am going to send you an address. Arrive unarmed or I will be sure to leave Nyssa with a mark," he threatened. Viper was sure she could surprise him and take him without too much resistance, but she couldn't risk Nyssa getting injured. Even if the hunter subdued Malcolm, any damage done to Nyssa would be on her. Currently, she was on stand-by as well, so Malcolm wasn't even her prey at the moment. Growling, she conceded and wrote down the address he listed.

Viper herself couldn't risk Nyssa, but as she stood there, her eyes drifted to Dinah Lance. A plan formed and she grinned to herself. Loopholes were a splendid thing, and taking a picture of Dinah, she sent a text she was sure would reach the younger Lance with an address attached. Accidental allies were still just as useful as those that voiced their confirmation.

However, League protocol did dictate that Viper had to do one thing before she continued, and it was what she despised the most. Dialing a well-known number, Viper growled under hear breath and told the first person that picked up that she needed to talk to Ra's now and not later.

…..

Sara had been pacing around the Foundry after she had explained it all to Oliver, and considering the circumstances, he had been incredibly understanding. He had even expressed regret that she hadn't trusted him earlier with this information, and she hadn't stopped him from leaving to return to Felicity's side. Inwardly, Sara cursed but didn't regret her actions. Things had changed for both her and him, and there was no going back to how they were prior to the island. It was impossible, and on days like these, they both seemed to realize that and drifted because of it. Her phone going off interrupted her thoughts, and she checked to see she had a message from an unknown number.

Oliver heard Sara drop her phone, and he turned in time to see a number of emotions cross her face: fear, anger, and then hatred. He rushed to her side and helped to stabilize her. The phone had landed up, and he could see what had caused her grasp on her emotions to slip. Her mom was tied up and unconscious in the photo, and there was some address attached.

"Felicity, I need you to find this address now," he growled, and the girl in question turned to look at him. When she saw his determination, she nodded and quickly entered it into a GPS program. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. "It's some condemned building… that was once owned by Merlyn Global." Her eyes widened as she said this aloud, and when she glanced over her shoulder, she watched as both Sara and Oliver suited up. Neither said a word to the other, and Sara didn't even try to dissuade Ollie from not following.

"What's going on?" Digg asked.

"Malcolm has taken Sara's mother," Oliver explained with a frown. Pulling his hood up, he turned to regard the Canary now dressed. "How did you want to go about this?"

"You're asking me?" Sara asked as she picked up her bo-staff.

"This is now your mother," he said. He wasn't thrilled with the prospect of killing Malcolm, but he already knew he couldn't exactly stop Sara either. He'd have her back; she deserved that.

"We can't kill him," she somehow forces out, and when she sees his hopeful look, she continues, "I want to. I'd enjoy it even, but we can't. Nyssa has informed me that the League won't accept a dead body. If we kill him, they'll go after Thea as recompense."

Oliver doesn't lose it; in fact, he doesn't show a single emotion. Instead, he rubs his face wearily and motions for Sara to lead the way. He just can't find it in him to be even shocked by the prospect of someone else trying to kill his family. First it was Malcolm, then the Hood replicates, then… Oliver had actually lost track at this point how many times his family had been a target. At least this took one option off the table; they couldn't kill Malcolm. Somehow, this put him at ease; he'd figure out the rest later once they saved Dinah.

"Oliver," Digg called out before the older Queen could leave. Both him and Felicity approached Ollie. "Do you know why he'd kidnap Dinah?" To Digg, this didn't make sense; why not kill them but kidnap Sara's mother? It didn't exactly add up.

"No I don't," he admitted. "But at the moment, what else can we do?"

"It could be a trap," Digg said, but Oliver had already considered that. He nodded his thanks anyway and went to leave again when Felicity spoke.

"Be careful," she said. "Please… I mean you know it's really tiring to constantly have to stitch you up and sit by you when you're about to die... again."

Before she could rant, Oliver stopped her with a smile. "I will be." He didn't blame their concern; the last time he and Malcolm had truly crossed bows, Oliver had to almost kill himself to stop the other man. It had taken a lot out of the team the night of the undertaking, and he wasn't sure if they could handle another blow like that just yet. They were a strong team that could get through anything, but hundreds of people dying because they couldn't stop it… He felt lucky to still have them, to still have Felicity and Diggle.

"Oliver?" Sara asked standing on the stairs. He pointed to his comm then headed up after her.

**Note: **I lied. This chapter became massive, to the point I had to break it into two parts. Good news is that I have written both parts and split it after the fact, so there's that.


	25. Heir to the Demon

**Chapter 25**

Viper stood at the pre-arranged meeting place, hood down and relatively relaxed considering the situation she was in. As tempting as it had been to bring her bow, she had left it and her knives with Dinah Lance who was conveniently stashed in the building next to and attached to the address she was waiting at.

"As much as I'm sure you want to savor this Mr. Merlyn," she called out, "I'd prefer to get this ball rolling."

"Ready to die so quickly?" he asked, dropping down behind the hunter and out of her reach. He had an arrow notched and aimed at the center of her back. If he released it, it would sever her spinal cord.

"Better you than Ra's if he discovers I am the reason any harm comes to his daughter," Viper explained, glancing over her shoulder at the Dark Archer. "Just kill me and get this over with." By League code, she stood here unwavering in her belief; she had known that her death awaited her when she arrived. However, that hadn't stopped her or caused her a moment's hesitation. She hadn't been lying when she said she'd prefer a death by Mr. Merlyn's hand over Ra's. Her actions could amount to treason, and at that point, her punishment would have been less severe if she had dropped a city on hundreds of innocent people.

"Did you call Ra's Al Ghul?" Malcolm asked, and Viper sighed in annoyance.

"You and I both know I did," she growled. "I have to in a situation like this."

"Then I have no more need for you," he said. "Thank you for opening up the communications." She closed her eyes in expectation, and she waited for the arrow when she heard Malcolm's name screeched across the block. Viper had to give the duo credit for their incredible timing, and with that, she jumped forward and took the arrow as a graze instead of a full-on shot.

"I hope you don't mind that I invited company to distract you," Viper grinned stepping away as Sara and Oliver rounded on Malcolm. His shock was short lived as he quickly went on defend himself, and she took that time to run inside to find Nyssa.

"He's dead," the heiress growled when Viper removed the gag. The hunter grinned at having Nyssa's attention drawn from Sara, but it was short lived when the Al Ghul asked, "What of Sara's mother?"

"I brought her here," Viper admitted. "She's in the smaller workshop next door, and I used her to bait your bird here."

Outside, Malcolm blocked a well-placed kick from Sara, but his arms were pinned by Oliver, who had come up from behind. The Queen scion maneuvered Malcolm into a choke hold, similar to the one he had caught the vigilante in the night of the undertaking. He hadn't thought that Oliver would be so willing to join with Viper, but he could see Sara doing such a thing.

"You should have stayed away from family," Sara growled, her bo-staff in hand. Ollie suddenly stepped back in time for Malcolm to take a strike across the face. He took a knee, but he didn't waste any time in snatching the bo-staff when Sara attempted to follow it up.

"I haven't done a thing to your family," the Dark Archer growled as he pushed Sara back and got to his feet. "Why would I even touch them?"

"Where is my mother?" Sara growled, her emotions clouding her judgment.

"I don't know," he sighed with a roll of his eyes. He did not understand what this fight was about suddenly, and he spun away in time to miss an arrow from Oliver. He still wasn't aiming for any kill shots, but Malcolm wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing. If he was incapacitated, the League would have no problem hauling him back.

In Oliver's ear, he heard Felicity's voice. "Ollie, Malcolm hasn't left the city, but I did find an airplane ticket purchased by one Alec for Central City two days ago."

"Sara!" he snapped the pieces coming together. The Canary ignored him and went at Malcolm again, this time with more force; her own words about not killing him forgotten. Her mother could be hurt or dying, and all she could think was that this scumbag knew about it. Before she could get in close and do any major damage, Oliver placed himself between Sara and Malcolm. While he didn't like the idea of having the Dark Archer behind him, he didn't have much of a choice if he was to stop his girlfriend. "Stop," he growled taking the next hit from the bo-staff in the ribs.

"Move," she snarled.

Touching his ribs gingerly, he whispered, "I need you to focus. Right now." That seemed to get her attention enough that he could continue, "He hasn't left Starling City. Viper did, and she went to Central City."

"She could be working with him," Sara said, but as the words left her mouth, she knew there was no chance that was true. The hunter wouldn't sully herself like that.

"Blood for blood," he continued, and with that, Sara stepped away and relaxed her stance enough so that Ollie knew she wouldn't attack him again. Her eyes were drawn past him and to the building, and her scowl returned. "How could you?"

Oliver turned to see Nyssa and Viper standing together and Mrs. Lance unconscious at their feet. "If it helps, I'm the one that did it," Viper outright admitted with a smile. Her bow was in hand, and she stood protectively close to Nyssa. Turning towards the Al Ghul heir, Viper asked, "Perhaps you should leave. I can take all three of them."

"I told you if anyone is going to end Sara's life, I will be the one to do it," Nyssa snarled, angered by the fact she had been captured and more so by the look Sara was giving her. It cut her deep. "You have a choice Sara. Return with me or watch her die in your place."

Alliances shifted as Malcolm stood and joined Oliver and Sara. He scowled at the fact his plan had fallen through, and he could no longer use Nyssa as a bargaining chip. However, he figured there was a way for him to still steer this in his direction; he just had to gain favor with Oliver and Sara. They weren't perfect, but they could be of use when more hunters came to Starling… and come they would since he had laid a hand on Nyssa. At least, the hunters would all finally be in one place, and that would make them easier in turn to track and kill.

"You attacked me thinking I took your mother?" Malcolm asked, a tone of incredulity in his voice. "What reason in my right mind would I have to do that?"

Sara hissed, "Do you an apology?"

"Actually yes, in this case, I would," he replied.

"Can we focus?" Oliver asked, snapping all of their attention back onto the League members in front of them.

"I'll get Nyssa," Sara said as she went to move forward, but Oliver stopped her.

"No," he argued. "You won't be able to push yourself to hurt her, and that's fine. But we need to stop them." He looked to Malcolm. "I am going to assume that if Ra's Al Ghul will be willing to deal with you if we take his daughter alive but unharmed?" Malcolm looked taken back by the question and the fact Oliver asked it, but he nodded.

Viper stepped away from Nyssa and watched as Sara and Malcolm moved in to attack her. She smiled at their predictability and wondered how if all three of them couldn't beat her last time, how they thought two would? She dodged the first two attacks and quickly moved to subdue them.

Oliver and Nyssa circled each other thoughtfully. They assessed the other completely before either moved in to attack, and it was Ollie who did it first. He watched as Nyssa stepped back and into the building. They took their fights to the different levels, and a majority of it was them exchanging arrows back and forth. Both being skilled archers kept them from hitting their targets as they would dance away and dodge every shot with a practiced ease.

Finally Oliver got a clean shot in, but Nyssa moved, so that it only nicked her clothing. He watched as a pouch fell to where Viper, Malcolm, and Sara were tangling. The two former League members were actually working well together; having similar training allowed them to work together to establish of flow. Doing this kept Viper on the defensive, but the hunter was still handling the situation with ease. She hadn't been able to get in and do any damage, but she wasn't sweating from their antics yet either. Sara had seen the pouch fall, and she rolled forward to snatch it. There was only a vial inside, and she recognized it as poison Viper would most likely use… She couldn't be sure it was the one currently effecting her mom, but she wasn't sure if that mattered.

In her distraction, Sara was unable to block the kick from Viper that sent her sprawling. She laid on her back for a moment, vial still in hand, and she tried to think clearly… but she couldn't get her mind past the fact Nyssa would let her mom die to satisfy the League, and it struck her deeply. Sara couldn't let her mother die for her, and she realized why blood for blood was suddenly so effective at keeping members in line. No one wanted to watch someone they loved die because of something they did.

Accepting her fate, Sara opened the vial and downed the entire contents in one gulp, and almost immediately, she felt pain radiate out. Above her, she watched as Oliver knocked Nyssa down a level and land precisely in front of the assassin. He had an arrow trained on her heart; all the while, Malcolm had been forced on the defensive without Sara's added help.

Ignoring the Dark Archer's dilemmna, Sara forced herself up and through the pain, she made her way to Nyssa. "Enough," she said through clenched teeth. When no one seemed to hear her, she repeated herself more loudly. This captured everyone's attention, and even Viper stopped in confusion. The hunter cocked her head to the side as she watched Sara hobble towards Nyssa and Oliver. Malcolm used her distraction to catch her with his sword; the cut wasn't deep but it stung her side nonetheless. With a growl, she went to dive right back into the fight when Nyssa cried out… that stopped Viper dead in her tracks.

Nyssa watched in horror as Sara collapsed in front of her, and without care for what Oliver would do, she rushed to the younger Lance's side. She cradled Sara's head and whispered, "Why? Why would you do this?"

"It was the only way," Sara forced out. "I can't let you take my mother in my place."

"You could have come back with me," Nyssa argued, and her eyes went and found Viper still tangled with Malcolm. "She wouldn't have been harmed then."

Sara licked her lips slowly, the pain making her head feel hazy. "The only release for me is death." She reached up and touched Nyssa's cheek, and she smiled sadly.

"I can't accept that," Nyssa growled. "Viper!" she snapped. "Over here now."

The hunter stood, mouth agape; she could finish this with Malcolm, but apparently, it wasn't meant to be this night. She hesitated to come to the Al Ghul still though, but when Nyssa ordered her with a single look, the hunter stepped away from Malcolm.

"I would suggest you take this chance to flee Mr. Merlyn. I will not hesitate to return my focus to you once I am done with her," she explained as she moved to step around him. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she watched the options flicker across his face or what she could see of his face. Slowly, he stepped away and seemingly decided that this would be a better fight for another night. If he tried to attack either her or Nyssa now, he would not have any allies as Oliver would not appreciate Sara's life being put in danger. That meant he'd be on his own against two very angry League members, and Malcolm knew when it was better to cut his losses. He caught Oliver in a meaningful glance before he melted back into the shadows as the League once taught him to do and disappeared.

"My mom," Sara gasped out.

"Did not down the entire bottle," Viper said. "She will be fine if she isn't already awake and terrified." Reaching back, she retrieved her quiver. "She is a runner from the League," she said to Nyssa as she searched for the antidote to counteract the poison.

"Save her," Nyssa growled. "That's an order directly from the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, and if you ignore it, I will have you banished from the League myself." The last part was not an empty threat; the daughters of Ra's carried a lot of power. Still, Viper doubted Ra's would allow it to be carried out considering what order Viper was ready to disobey; this went against not only hunter code but the general honor the League carried as well. "Now," Nyssa added, and Viper sighed.

The hunter was not in the mood to be forcefully returned to the League to explain this mess if she chose to disregard Nyssa. Pulling out a syringe, Viper filled it with the antidote and felt along Sara's stomach for where she could inject it directly. The younger Lance was already starting to hyper salivate from the poison, so their time was running short. Sara would die if Viper and Nyssa didn't help, and while Oliver wanted the League out of his city, he wanted to try and save Sara as well. Tomorrow, he'd find a way to chase the hunter out, but for now, he needed her to save Sara.

"Try and take a deep breath," Viper warned. "This won't be pleasant." Pushing the needle deep, Viper ignored the pained gasp that Sara released as the hunter injected the full contents into her body. "Give it a moment and try not to aspirate in that time." Viper growled and moved away from the pair. She glanced at Oliver, and she couldn't help but smile at him as he went to the front of the building. When he returned a moment later, Dinah Lance was with him, awake and walking but looking a bit disoriented. Nyssa saw this and pulled the wig and mask from Sara before Dinah noticed the pair.

"Mom," Sara whispered, and that caused Dinah to return to the present. She collapsed to her knees next to Sara, her eyes filled with tears at the sight of her daughter. "What happened? How are you?" Questions tumbled from Dinah's mouth as she grasped her daughter's hand; Nyssa moved away and returned to Viper's side.

"You can explain this one to your father," the hunter said, her tone less than pleased.

"No need," Nyssa said as Dinah pulled Sara to her feet. She was off-balanced but alive, and that was enough for the younger Al Ghul. "Sara Lance, I, Nyssa Al Ghul, daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, hereby release you from your service to the League of Assassins." Silence was met with her words, and Viper tried to hide her shock.

"You can really explain that one to your father," Viper finally said with a shake of her head. "He's not going to be pleased."

"And I can do as I please," Nyssa said, her tone indicating that there was no room for argument. Sara smiled her thanks to Nyssa, and her eyes said it all to her ex-lover. There were no words between the two, just a meaningful look, and there would be good-bye. It'd be too painful. Instead, Nyssa turned to Dinah and apologized for involving her. "You have an incredible daughter Mrs. Lance." The League member found it in her to turn and head for the exit; there was nothing left for her in Starling. She was not a hunter… and she no longer had a relationship.

Viper watched Nyssa leave, and she knew she'd have to watch over the other assassin to be sure Malcolm didn't try something stupid again. However, she couldn't help herself as she turned to look at Oliver and whispered, "How's your sister doing? Hopefully not too traumatized. I did try to limit the damage. Please try to remember my threat Mr. Queen before you throw your lot in with Mr. Merlyn." She nodded to Oliver and trotted off after Nyssa.

…

"Report," Slade said, glancing at the man on the other side of the table. He stood there shifting, and he looked extremely uncomfortable to be in the same room as Mr. Wilson. Shado was smiling and whispering sweet nothings in Slade's ear, and that had him in a good enough mood to ignore the boy's hesitation. "Report," he repeated.

"We've received word that your man successfully forced Viper to call Ra's Al Ghul," he stuttered out.

"And?" he growled when the boy didn't continue. He slammed his fist down on the table and caused the poor man to practically jump out of his skin.

"And we've received confirmation," he gulped, "that Talia Al Ghul is on her way immediately to Starling City."

"Good."

**Note:** Phew that was… that was something wasn't it. I've finished the heir arc while setting up more story. Next chapter will probably be a bit of an interlude to give me a break from all these characters trying to kill the other. It will probably be a three part interlude (not three chapters but broken up in three parts in one chapter) and will be Oliver/Sara, Oliver and Malcolm talking, and finally Oliver/Felicity. I feel as though we need to tie up some threads there/start something.


	26. Interlude: A Better Man

**Chapter 26**

When Oliver found Sara later that night, it was back at the clock tower. He had half-expected her to stay with her overjoyed family and revel in her freedom, but he couldn't say he was shocked when he saw her leaning against a railing overlooking the city.

Old habits were hard to break, and he didn't think it had hit her yet that she had been released and that the League would not hunt her any longer. Considering everything that was going on although, Oliver wasn't entirely sure that it mattered much. There was still a chance that Detective Lance, Laurel, or Dinah could get caught in the war that was ravaging the city, and that wasn't just the threat that the hunters possessed. There was more at work in the city, and Oliver knew he had to uncover whatever was going on before it was too late.

Last year, he had been too late. He had to watch the Glades crumble and take some of his fighting spirit with it; he had felt like a failure in that moment. To spend all that time trying to stop the Undertaking, only to lose at the last second had been heartbreaking. If he had accepted his mother had been in on it sooner, he could have prevented some of the devastation; he could have discovered Malcolm's true identity as the Dark Archer. He wasn't going to let anything take him by surprise this year, and he would not fail this time in protecting his city. And that included keeping Sara and her family safe.

"Hey," he whispered coming up next to her; he had made enough noise approaching, so that she wouldn't take a swing at him. "How's the family?" It was a stupid question, but he wasn't sure what else to say given the circumstances.

Sara scoffed and let out a dry laugh; in this moment, she looked far more broken then when she was fighting for her life. "They don't understand… well Dad understands when I explained it was the League again, but Mom, she's just happy I'm home. She doesn't care what I did to get home." Oliver didn't interrupt; he let her get everything off her chest. "But I care. I killed so many people, and I'm not the daughter they remember."

Oliver reached out and grabbed her hand gently. He squeezed reassuringly, and when she didn't continue, he said, "Your dad accepted you as you are. Your mom is just… shocked I'm sure." He remembered how his mother tried to pretend nothing had changed, and he had been thankful for the cover. He didn't need more people knowing how he spent his nights.

"She's at least talking to me," Sara said with a shake of her head. "Laurel threw me out." The Canary thought back on the fight and shuddered. She hadn't been sure what to expect when she saw her sister, but she had thought maybe stunned silence, not unadulterated rage. Her older sister hadn't even given her a chance to speak before all of Laurel's problems were thrust onto her as her fault; Sara growled internally at that. She had known her sister had been struggling for a while now, but she didn't see how any of it was her fault. She had been "dead".

"She'll come around," Oliver said reassuringly. The only thing he could offer was comfort, so he manipulated them both so that she was against the rail, and he was pressed against her. He understood at a base level what she was struggling with: how can you be the person they remember when you don't even remember.

"You should avoid the house for… a long while," Sara frowned. "I think Laurel hates you again for not telling her I was alive."

He sighed and lowered his gaze. "It's not new."

"But it's not fair," she frowned. "I told her as such too. I explained that I told you to tell them that I died on the yacht, but she wouldn't even let me finish before she started screaming."

"She's had a rough year," Ollie weakly defended. He was running out of excuses for Laurel, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to keep coming up with any. The older Lance sister needed actual help and to stop blaming other people; once she did that, she could easily turn her life around. This was her crucible.

There was nothing sexual about how Oliver held Sara in this moment; he was offering her the physical comfort, and there was no reason for them to delve deeper. He could tell when she didn't want to be pushed, and he wasn't sure if he could even focus on such an act. The night had been long, and she had almost died… but his thoughts were centered around Sara as they should have been considering what had happened. He wasn't sure what to think when he kept trailing back to wondering how Felicity was. She had a concussion a few days prior, and he worried that she was working too hard.

"If you don't mind me asking," Ollie began as he tilted Sara's head up, "but that relationship you mentioned you had with Nyssa. It wasn't just a fling was it?"

Sara had wondered when he would bring that up, and she shook her head but didn't lower her gaze. She wasn't ashamed by what she felt… still felt… for Nyssa. The woman had saved her life, took her in, and trained her. There were no words that could express how grateful Sara was for everything the Al Ghul had done for her.

"I," she began with the intention of using past tense, but she found she couldn't. "Love her. She saved me, helped me, forged me into this."

Oliver didn't seem shocked by the answer and simply smiled. "Do you regret all of this then? Do you wish you would have gone back with her?"

"I have things to do here," Sara said, her voice steel. Maybe when everything was said and done… she'd find Nyssa and talk.

"Then, you should start by trying to fix that bridge with your sister," Oliver stated pulling away from the embrace slowly. He cared deeply for Sara, but he knew what she really needed in this situation. Her family would be the only ones to keep her grounded as she went over in her head if she had made the right choice; he couldn't convince her of that.

"She won't listen to me," she growled.

"And when has that ever stopped you?" he grinned.

…..

Oliver wasn't sure what compelled him to visit the graveyard in the mid of night while it was still down pouring, but one moment he had been at the clock tower and the next here. There was only one grave he needed to visit to reassure himself as well of his vow to be something better.

When he was close, he could see he wasn't the only one who had the thought to visit Tommy, and Ollie briefly wished he had his bow on him. He had left it at the Foundry and had dressed to go home; instead of course, he had ended up at the clock tower with Sara. He wasn't going to lie. Oliver was avoiding his house with a fierce determination since his sister and his mother were at each other's throats last he checked. It was a bit stressful, and he couldn't get Thea to calm down long enough to listen to any real sort of reason. She was strong-held in her belief that their mother was a good for nothing liar, but he figured that after a few days, she'd calm. Thea was most likely just overwhelmed from everything that had happened to her. He just had to give her time.

Unwilling to leave, Oliver held his ground and said, "He deserved better." He watched as Malcolm stood from where he had been crouched down and met Oliver's gaze. He was still dressed as the Dark Archer, but his bow was also not in sight. To Oliver that didn't matter much, he had brawled with Mr. Merlyn in the past with just hand to hand, and he knew just how skilled the older man was.

"You're right," Malcolm eventually conceded. "He did." His gaze fell to the tombstone, and he found himself wishing a multitude of things- nothing of course that could ever come to pass. "He shouldn't have been in the Glades. He shouldn't have…"

"But he was," Oliver said. "He saved Laurel's life."

Malcolm chuckled, "Yes the woman he claimed that you stole from him. He had said it was completely over."

"There are many things I regret Mr. Merlyn," Oliver said truthfully. "But what happened between me and Tommy in those final days tops that list. I screwed up. What's your excuse?"

"He shouldn't have been in the Glades!" Malcolm snapped moving closer to Oliver. They were only separated by a foot or so now, and both recognized openings if this turned to blows. After all this time, they still had a lot to settle between them. Oliver had stopped the total destruction of the Glades, and Malcolm blamed him for a lot of it… but the elder Merlyn couldn't blame him for Tommy. His son had made that choice, and that thought is what caused him to practically melt away from the urge to fight.

"There were a lot of innocent people in those Glades… including Tommy," Oliver continued. "He deserved better."

"If I could change it," Malcolm said, but Oliver snorted.

"You'd change it so that Tommy didn't die, but you'd still level the Glades given the opportunity."

"Those vermin deserved it. They left her to die in the street alone!" _Her_ didn't need defining; they both understood that he had meant Rebecca.

"But what you did wasn't justice. That was revenge," he said as he crossed his arms in front of himself. "Look at the Glades now. Not much better are they and if anything, they're worse now."

"And what you do is better?"

"No innocent people die." They were both soaked to the bone, but neither of them paid it much mind. The conversation they were having was one hundred times more important than the comfort of heat or dryness.

"You think you honor your father by wearing that hood?" Malcolm seemed smug on the outside, but inside, he was anything but. When it was all said and done, he had seen the destruction, and for a moment, the pain of losing his wife had vanished… but now, it still clawed at him, and he couldn't get her message out of his head. Tommy's death had made it worse because now he could hear the accusations in her voice; he could see her standing in front of him blaming him for their son's death. He had to make this right, and that started with by being an actual father to Thea.

"I don't wear the hood to honor my father," Oliver admitted; his thoughts trailed to Shado and Yao Fei. He honored their memories with the hood. "I honor him by fixing the wrongs he had done to this city, and I honor Tommy by being something more than a killer. Did your wife ever ask you to kill for her? Or was that the only way you could make the pain go away." He understood the rage and pain of losing a loved one; watching his father shoot himself had begun the deep ingraining of the man he would become. That didn't mean it hadn't hurt, and to this day, the memory stung.

Malcolm lowered his head and clenched his fists. He didn't entirely know what had happened to Oliver on that island, but it had made the boy too damn receptive. He felt as though his private thoughts had been ripped from his head and laid bare for the world to see. Part of him wanted to beat the smile off the Queen's face and kill him as he had wanted to do since returning to Starling, but a larger part couldn't help but ask,

"What do you want Oliver?"

"The hunters aren't going to stop," he said. He kept his face impassive and his tone neutral. "And they will go after Thea eventually, and I can't let that happen."

"So you've come to kill me?" Malcolm wasn't sure at this point if he could find it in him to stop Oliver. The last thing he wanted was to risk Thea's life, and at this point, he wasn't even sure if leaving Starling would be enough to dissuade the hell he had brought upon himself. By kidnapping Nyssa but failing to utilize, he knew he had brought more down upon himself then he could handle. A death by Oliver would be merciful at this point.

"No," Oliver said, and this captured Malcolm's attention. "I'm here to help you."

…

After the lengthy conversation he had with Malcolm, Oliver had chosen to return to the Foundry. There was still so much to discuss, but Oliver had pushed it for another day. Both archers needed time to think over the other's words and their own. Oliver wasn't even sure what compelled him to offer the peace branch to Malcolm, but it was done. He wasn't sure how his team would react, but they'd come around, he was sure. They were in a corner, and it frightened Oliver to think that the hunters might kill Thea no matter what he did. Sara had made it clear before he left that Malcolm's actions with Nyssa would have attracted the entire League's attention, and they might choose to take Thea's life as recompense for his actions, even if he did surrender himself or they handed him over. Oliver had to protect his family… even if that meant choking down an alliance with a man as evil as Malcolm Merlyn.

"Oliver you're wet! Why are you wet?" Felicity asked jumping towards him, towel in hand. She practically tossed the towel on his hand and tried to dry him off. "You're not going near my computers like this."

"It's raining outside," Oliver sighed as he let her frantically try to dry every inch of him. He would have found it amusing if he wasn't so bone tired. He wasn't sure he was going to make it home tonight; the couch in the Foundry was looking rather tempting.

"Oh well that would explain you being wet," Felicity stated as she pulled the towel away to see Oliver's amused smirk. She huffed and returned to her computer. Whatever she was doing had her entire attention, and he didn't want to bother her. Instead, he forced himself over to the couch and laid his head down. He had no intention of sleeping, but he must have been dozing because he awoke to Felicity draping a blanket over him.

"Shouldn't you go home?" he asked, his voice croaked a bit.

She smiled, "Shouldn't you?" When she went to move away, Oliver found that he had reached out and snatched her hand. He needed someone, and it couldn't be his family right now or Sara. He just needed someone to tell him he was doing the right thing; he wasn't entirely sure anymore. Somehow, Felicity seemed to realize that was exactly what he needed, so she pulled away but wasn't gone long. She had fetched her tablet and then returned to sit against the couch. She reached up with one hand and intertwined her fingers with his.

The silence was deafening, and usually, he enjoyed it… but right now, he needed to hear her voice and convince himself that everything was okay at least for today. "Is Sara okay?" Felicity asked, again almost reading his thoughts.

"She's adjusting," he said softly. "Her family was… happy to see her." He left out what Laurel had done; hopefully, Sara could repair that relationship with ease, but her older sister was stubborn. "How's your head?"

"Good as new," she beamed. "Digg said I might have a small scar, which is awesome." Ollie arched an eyebrow. "All of you have these scars and stories, and you get to compare them all the time. Now, I have one. Even though you can't exactly see it." She seemed upset by that last part, and he tried not to chuckle.

"But it's there," Ollie offered.

"It makes me feel like a part of the team," Felicity said weakly, and if it hadn't been for exhaustion, Ollie would have been on his feet.

"You're the most important part of this team," he said with a growl. "Don't ever think otherwise." He watched as she turned to glance at him, and he found that their faces were only a few inches apart. He could feel her breath on his cheek; it wouldn't take much… "What would I do without you?" he said instead.

"Probably not be able to log into the computer," Felicity admitted with a shrug. When he looked offended, she continued, "Look you can surf the internet, which is great, but when you and Diggle started coming to me, you were a bit…"

"Pathetic?" Oliver offered helpfully, and he watched as her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. "We did have some rather odd requests."

"Like that laptop riddled with bullets," she said, and they both shared a short laugh before falling silent again.

"I'm serious though," Oliver said. "Without you, this team would be nothing. You're important to the team." That seemed to get to Felicity as she looked away finally and nodded. From the angle, he could see her eyes were watering and she was biting her lip. "You're important to me," he added without even thinking about it.

For some reason, this snapped Felicity out of her daze, and she untangled herself from Oliver. She moved away, and Oliver forced himself to sit up. His wet suit clung to him in all the wrong ways, so he started to peel it off and drop it in a pile.

"Umm," she said, "why are you undressing?"

"Because my clothes are soaked," he said, and when he saw that she couldn't tear her eyes away, he tried to change the subject. He was sure if he pointed out what she was doing, she'd be beyond embarrassed. "How's Barry?"

Felicity took a shuddering breath and frowned. This captured Ollie's attention, and he stood to close the distance between them. He still had pants on, but nothing else. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"There was an accident," she summarized gently. With everything going on, she hadn't had a chance to tell Oliver yet, and she didn't want to bring the Central City worker back up until she was sure he wouldn't snap again. "He's in a coma."

There was a moment's hesitation before Oliver offered his condolences. Internally, he was grateful for the moment it was one less worry, but he did feel terrible about how he had treated the boy. Barry had saved his life in the end.

Standing the Foundry half dressed, Oliver watched as Felicity again ran her eyes across him, and while it didn't usually bother him, he felt a surge of glee at the fact she was looking at him. He quickly squashed that as he didn't understand why he would be happy about it and tried to keep his face impassive.

"Umm," Felicity finally said, "you're still wet… and naked. Well half naked, or topless or something." She grabbed another towel. "Here, you can… cover up. Or not. I mean I don't mind staring at you. Crap, I didn't mean it like that." She met his gaze, lip again between her teeth, and somehow, the next thing Oliver knew was that his lips were on hers. He half-expected her to pull away in shock or he would, but instead, they both stood there relishing in the contact. He wanted to wrap an arm around her, but he found it in himself not to push it. He stepped away; his own sheepish look only matched by hers.

"I think I need…" she stuttered as she ran her tongue across her lips, and Oliver wanted nothing more than to close the distance again. "I need… What do I need?" Felicity's attention was pulled back to her computer, and on the screen, she could see Diggle was at the back entrance. He was probably searching for Oliver, and she stood completely incapable of deciding what to do next.

Oliver stood unsure of what he just did, and watched the emotions play across Felicity's features- shock, awe, and uncertainty. Even he wasn't sure what to feel about it, but he didn't get a chance to try and understand when Digg showed up and clapped him on the shoulder, ignorant that something was interrupted. Oliver just didn't know what that something was.

**Note:** Seriously it's just a kiss, so don't get all excited since this is still a slow burn, but I wanted to snip a few of those Oliver/Sara bonds (using Nyssa) and start to build something with Felicity. I swear when I started this chapter I had no intention of them even doing anything; they just sort of did it on their own. Bad characters.

The League is going to have a bit of a break here as we're going to focus on how Malcolm and Oliver's impromptu partnership might work, so we're going to have a few chapters where they feel this out (including the Markov episode). Then we'll get back to the League (aka Viper and Talia).


	27. Connections

**Chapter 27**

The following morning, Oliver was at the office trying to keep whatever crisis that Isabel was raving about under control; however, it would have helped if he knew what the situation actually was. The moment he had arrived, Felicity hadn't said a word to him, and Isabel had jumped down his throat immediately. Between the two women, Oliver was only interested in what Felicity hadn't said.

Since last night, neither of them had acknowledged what happened in the Foundry. The moment Diggle had showed up, they had split and gone their separate ways; Oliver had glanced back when he left, but she had been hard at work on her computer. He began to wonder if he had made a mistake, or if he had read too much into the 'signs'. He had thought she was interested… but he shouldn't have kissed her. He didn't know what he had been thinking except that he wanted too.

Sara was important to him; she had been with him on the island, understood things about him that no one else ever could grasp. She saw the darkness in him, but Felicity saw the light. She was always pushing for him to be better, not because that's what she wanted, but because she knew he could do it even if he didn't. Ever since he recruited her, she had always seen a different side of him, and he had begun to realize the extent of that when he had saved her from the Count. He didn't regret putting an arrow in that man, and if anything, he wished he had put ten in the drug dealer for simply touching her. Oliver was in deeper than he thought, and he groaned at that thought.

"Am I boring you Mr. Queen?" Isabel scowled, looking up from the papers scattered across the conference table. "We need to get through these finances if we want to do anything with applied sciences."

"Don't we have accountants for just that?" he asked. On one hand, he wanted this meeting to be over with, and another, he really didn't understand half the paperwork. He could use the sheets to make a relatively amusing target for shooting though.

"After what happened in the Glades," she sighed, "Don't you think a personal touch might put investors at ease?"

Oliver refrained from pointing out the Glades had had enough of a personal touch from his family, but even he couldn't get the words to form. To say something like that was placing blame back on his mother for what happened, and she had suffered enough for her choices. She had lost her husbands, her son was a stranger, and her daughter was five seconds away from clipping ties. The only person left to actually blame was Malcolm Merlyn.

And Oliver felt like throwing his head into the table. Malcolm Merlyn destroyed the Glades with no remorse, and Ollie was now about to introduce him to the rest of team arrow as their new ally. He began to wonder if he should tell Merlyn to wear a bullet proof vest. Felicity and Diggle had not been thrilled with the Dark Archer's presence last time, and he had been tied up during that visit. This time, he'd be free roaming; at the very least, Oliver had to warn him to stay far from Felicity's computers.

The Queen scion glanced up from his paperwork to see Felicity walking in, a cup of coffee in hand. She handed it to him without a word or meeting his gaze. It troubled Oliver, but he couldn't exactly bring it up in front of Isabel. That woman already thought that Felicity had slept her way to the EA position, and Ollie wasn't going to add any evidence to that claim by bringing up their relationship at work… Relationship, partnership, friendship… Oliver didn't know what to call it at this point.

"One for me as well," Isabel stated as she dove back into the paperwork. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Felicity scowling.

"It's broken," he said catching both women's attention. "The coffee machine… is broken." He realized holding a cup of coffee and saying that would not make any sense; he had to come up with a quick excuse.

"Then what are you holding Mr. Queen?" Isabel asked, her eyes trailing from the coffee to his face.

"The coffee I bought this morning," he supplied weakly. "I had left it on my desk in some plastic cup. I like to be environmentally friendly." Oliver realized he had bad cover stories in the past, but this one was going to be near the top at this rate.

"So your EA poured that into a glass and then tossed the original container?" Isabel asked. "How does that protect the environment Mr. Queen?"

Oliver frowned at looked at the paperwork in his hand. He should have thought this through before opening his mouth. "Maybe we should look into a way to recycle those cups? Queen consolidated already had a foothold in green energy." Somehow, this distracted Isabel, and she went back to the paperwork, immediately arguing with him over his 'stupid choices and decisions'. He chanced a glance at Felicity to see her amused smile, and she mouthed a thank you to him. It made his day.

Finally, the day at the office came to an end. The paperwork still wasn't done, and it would probably take an entire weekend to sort. At least, it would for someone; Oliver had other plans. By the time, Oliver had made his way down to security and finished talking with Isabel, Felicity had already left. She had mentioned wanting to run home before returning to the Foundry. They weren't sure what sort of weekend to expect after what Malcolm did. He had every intention of asking Sara how the League would respond to Nyssa being kidnapped then released, and how long they had before they could expect a counter strike.

Oliver as well had to make a trip home. He had promised his mother he'd eat dinner with her tonight, but he had already guessed she wanted this to try and lure Thea out. His sister rarely ventured past her room, and she had been in even more of a mood because her boyfriend had stopped texting her. She was at a mid-point between worried and ready to explode at the next person who spoke.

Arriving at the mansion, Oliver made some small talk with Rosa, and he promised his mother he'd try and get Thea out of her room. First though, he was going to change from the stuffy suit into something a bit more business casual. Once dinner was through, he had to go to the club and try to sort out the last of the police, so he couldn't dress down too much. He supposed once the police were taken care of he'd be able to spend the rest of the weekend with Felicity… and Diggle, of course… trying to find leads on the League. He wanted to get eyes on them, and he didn't care this time if Felicity had to hack ARGUS to find them. He wasn't going to get caught off guard again.

Tossing his jacket in a corner of his room, he went to unbutton his shirt, but the hair on his neck stood straight up. His instincts were rarely wrong, so Oliver knew that there was someone else in the room with him. He chanced a glance to see the window was partially open, and he began to reach for the letter opener on his desk. It wasn't sharp, but with the speed and precision he could throw, it would hurt nonetheless.

"Someday you're going to have to tell me what happened to you on that island," Malcolm said, stepping from the corner behind Oliver. The elder Queen sighed and placed the letter opener back on the desk. However, he kept his hand on it as he leaned on the table.

"I learned to survive," Oliver curtly said, and he watched as Mr. Merlyn wandered to the window and looked out. "What do you want Mr. Merlyn?"

"We're working together now aren't we Oliver?" he asked. His hood was down and cowl was in hand. It looked like he had been out hunting himself. "So please, it's Malcolm." To an outsider, this would have looked like a conversation between two old family friends, but if someone looked closer at their body language, both men screamed 'ready for a fight'. They were both extremely wary of the other and untrusting in turn.

"What do you want Malcolm?" he repeated. "I have dinner plans with my mother and sister." He considered the Dark Archer for a moment before he added, "You're not invited."

Malcolm couldn't help but bark out a short laugh. Amusement shone in his eyes, and he nodded his understanding. More than anything, he wanted to have a conversation with his daughter, but she had her window bolted and door locked. There would be no easy way for him to sneak in without being caught by someone, and he didn't think Moira would appreciate dead security.

"Yes Oliver, I had assumed that," he answered politely enough. "I was here to discuss the League."

"My home is not the place for that," Ollie growled. He didn't want this man in the same room, let alone house as his mother and sister. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep Malcolm from Thea, not easily, considering last he checked she wanted to search the elder Merlyn out, but like hell he would put his mother in danger.

"Yes, well, I did not think your _friends_ would appreciate me dropping in on them at your club," he explained. "And there was the matter of getting in. A coded lock," he said with a nod. "Smart." It was too bad Malcolm mused that he had discovered Oliver's secret so late into the Undertaking; he was sure with some persuasion that Oliver could have been convinced to join him. It was a shame Tommy hadn't picked up on some of Oliver's new traits before he… Malcolm turned away and focused his emotions; he didn't have time to think back on his dead son. He had to focus, so that he could help Thea and himself.

"Better there than here," the Queen scion said before a knock at his door interrupted them. Oliver turned and cracked the door just enough to see Rosa summoning him for dinner. He smiled and sent her on her way. Not wanting to risk his mother coming up to fetch him, Oliver stripped from his shirt and tossed it away. He could see that Malcolm had taken a moment to himself but was now back to observing the emerald archer. "I am going to have dinner with my family, and then, I will meet you at the Foundry." He rattled off the code before Malcolm asked. "Just try not to drop in on any one there. Felicity might not be trained with a bow and arrow or gun, but she won't hesitate to knock you over the head or taser you given the chance."

"Oh I remember her," he chuckled. "She actually almost did taser me last time." At Oliver's glare, he held up his hands innocently enough. "I will stay hidden until you arrive if I must."

"Oliver!" His name was being shouted across the house.

Yanking the shirt over his head, Ollie rushed to get ready. When he turned to say one last thing to Malcolm, he discovered the Dark Archer had already slipped out the window. He felt a bit of irritation for the other archer, but was silently glad he wouldn't have to explain Mr. Merlyn's presence to anyone. Stepping into the hallway, he turned to head to his sister's room. He hadn't decided how he would get her out, but perhaps a bit of bribing would work.

"Thea," he said in between the knocks. "Dinner is ready downstairs."

"Go away," she growled through the wood. It reminded Oliver so much of their times as children; it even brought up a memory of the time Thea somehow locked herself into the room and couldn't get out. It had taken their father calming her down long enough to get a ladder and go into through the window.

"You need to eat," Ollie tried, but he could practically hearing her huff on the other side of the door. "What do I need to do to get you out?"

"Get that liar out of the house," Thea offered helpfully, and if the situation wasn't already so ridiculous, Oliver would have found some humor in that. "I'll eat dinner with you."

"Has to be both of us."

"Then I'm not coming out."

"Thea," he said, his tone a bit stricter. "Come on, Mom did what she thought was best. For you and me."

"And that almost killed you!" she growled. "She let you go on the Gambit." Oliver noticed that she didn't mention how Dad was also on the Gambit, and he wondered what exactly what was going on in her head.

"I'm here," he said as he leaned his forehead against the door. "I'm right here, Thea. You need to come out, so that we can face this together. Malcolm might be your father, but we're still your family."

"She should have told me."

"He was dead. It wouldn't have changed anything," Oliver tried with reason.

"He's alive now," Thea argued back. "He saved me and he's out there right now… And I… I don't know. I don't understand why he saved me."

Oliver sighed deeply. "Please come downstairs."

"Why should I?"

He had a trump card in mind, and he hated the idea of using it; however, the only way to mend this relationship was to get Thea and mom back into the same room. Even if it killed him to say it, Oliver said, "Come downstairs and eat with mom and me… have a normal dinner with us… and I'll…"

"You'll what?" Thea asked; she sounded very interested.

"I'll find Malcolm Merlyn, so you can ask him all these questions you have yourself." He left out the fact he knew exactly where Malcolm was at this moment, but she didn't need to know that. He watched as the door opened, and Thea's head popped out.

"Ollie no!" she cried throwing her arms around his neck. "What if he tries to kill you again?" He was pretty sure she was talking about the Gambit and not the fight they had on Merlyn Global's roof. He hugged her tightly back.

"You have questions, and you're my sister," he smiled. "Whatever I need to do to make you happy." He hated the idea of putting Malcom and Thea in a room together, but at this point, they both wanted to see the other. They'd find a way, so he figured this way he had a bit more control of the when and where. The last thing he wanted was to wake up one morning and find Thea gone because Malcolm had convinced her that it was for the best. If this was what she needed, he'd do it.

"But," she began, but he pulled away.

"But you have to eat dinner with mom and me," he said again, and he watched as she scowled but nodded in agreement. She went back into her room to fetch her phone before she followed Ollie to the stairs. "Don't say a word of this to mom."

"She might lose her head," Thea said in agreement. "How will you find him?" she asked in turn.

"I have my ways," he offered cryptically, and then cocked his head as she stared at her phone, lips pursed. "Are you okay Speedy?"

She glared at the use of the nickname, but explained, "Roy hasn't gotten back to me yet. I'm worried."

Oliver squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure he's been busy. He was working at the club right?" When she nodded, he continued with, "He's probably still helping with the clean-up." Thea didn't tell her brother that Roy hadn't been there that night, but she knew at the very least he wasn't among the dead. That had been the first thing she checked, but now days later, she was getting really worried that something else might have happened.

She loved Roy even with all his faults, and she considered asking Oliver to use these mysterious resources to find him instead, but she pushed that thought away quickly. There were a few things she could check first herself, and if she came up short, then she'd go to Ollie.

**Note:** Family problems are always fun. Alright rephrase about what episodes will be in this: the markov episode and the finale will for sure be in this but with AU attached. Other events such as Slade's discovery, Blood's involvement, etc. will still happen but they won't happen in the context the show had them. So Oliver will discover Slade, but it won't be as it was in the show at all; same with Isabel. I figured I should clarify.  
So this part (the chapters involving Malcolm and Oliver teaming up, no League) will be the part that really develops Oliver/Felicity. I changed the categories so this wasn't listed as a romance anymore because of how it turned out, but for those looking for 'romance', these upcoming chapters will have the bulk of it.

This turned out a lot longer than I thought it would, but oh well *shrug*. If some of you are looking for a specific scene that you'd like to see (i.e. Nyssa and Malcolm having a fight was requested, so viola), and it fits into the story, I have no problem adding it. Just let me know. Alright catch ya!


	28. Cascade

**Chapter 28**

"It was just a kiss," Felicity could be heard saying furiously to herself. She stomped down to the Foundry, hair still damp from her earlier shower, and the air around her was alive with frustration. She had meant to get here over an hour ago, but nothing had been going right since last night. First her shower broke this morning, so she only had cold water, and it still wasn't fixed. Then, she had to sit at work and watch Isabel bat her eyelashes at Oliver, and that woman drove Felicity up a wall.

At least, Oliver had kept her from having to get that horrible woman coffee… even if his excuse was by far the worst thing she had ever heard. She couldn't help but laugh a bit when she compared that story back to the energy drink in a syringe, so perhaps, it wasn't the worst. Nonetheless, her day was just one bad thing after another.

Last night… she didn't have words for last night since it was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything; Oliver kissed plenty of people. Well, girls… maybe guys as well. Felicity hadn't exactly sat her boss down to discuss his sexual tendencies, and with that thought, she groaned loudly and threw her head into her hands. She didn't want to think about Oliver and sex in the same… She cursed as she did it again.

Felicity just needed to get her mind off of this kiss, and she'd be fine. Sitting at her computer, she cracked open some files and started to look for something that would keep Oliver on the streets tonight. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him; she just didn't think she could without blushing. There had to be a reasonable explanation for what happened last night, and she wasn't sure if she could take the real truth. After all, he was with Sara, so there had to be some job-related reason he had done what he did.

The cameras outside pulled up revealed no activity, and the police tape had finally been removed. She wasn't sure how they finished that quickly considering it had been a mass murder site, but she wasn't about to question their luck either. Cops upstairs all the time was a big risk down here, and while Oliver had assured everyone the chances of them getting in was slim, there had still been a possibility.

Somehow in her haste to go through video files, she found the one from last night. She went to exit it immediately but found herself drawn to it and unable to do so. She watched Oliver kiss her from a third-person perspective, and she felt uncertain about it all.

"Great, now I'm a stalker," she snapped to herself as she exited the program and huffed. "It was just a kiss. It was just a kiss. It was just a really good kiss." Who was she kidding; she couldn't get it out of her head. "It meant nothing," but as she said this, she didn't entirely believe it. Once Oliver told her so though, she'd be able to accept it and move on.

Checking her phone, she saw Oliver had sent her a message that he'd be late. Apparently his mother had wanted to try and mend things with Thea, and Felicity grimaced at the thought. She couldn't believe that Moira had known but decided to keep it from both kids. Like Thea, Felicity believed that they had a right to know about their heritage; Moira had no right to keep it from them. The IT girl thought that Mrs. Queen had done it to be selfish, and that she hadn't been protecting her children but herself.

Felicity sat back in the chair and tried to clear her head. She needed to focus if she was going to get any sort of work done. She knew Sara would still want Viper tracked, and in turn, Malcolm. A few keystrokes later, she had traffic cams pulled up, and she checked airlines. She doubted that 'Alec' would pop up again as she had prior, but it was worth checking.

It was silent, and if Felicity hadn't seen it with her own two eyes, she would have thought that the League hadn't even been in town. Pulling up the police report from Thea's kidnapping, she discovered they had arrested a random man but they had DNA evidence linking him to it. Viper or her persona were never mentioned, and that included all future run-ins with the police. Anything that was League related was tied to the vigilante, and anyone else mentioned had an extremely vague description.

The Dark Archer also wasn't mentioned in any reports, but Felicity was sure that was due to Thea not saying a word. There was also the fact the League seemed to have a dress-code, so when Malcolm's description, or lack there-of, came up in a report, it was impossible to discern him from the next.

On the list of people she really disliked, Malcolm was at the top for Felicity. While she believed Moira should have told Thea the truth, she also was headstrong in the belief that Mr. Merlyn should have stayed away. It wasn't entirely his fault what happened to Thea, but she knew that he started this cascade. He leveled the Glades and broke the League's weird honor code, but she had seen the look in Oliver's eyes when he discovered what the League would do in recompense. He wasn't comfortable with the idea of what the League would do if they got their hands on Malcolm- be it because Ollie was trying to be better or if it was because Malcolm was Tommy's father. It frightened Felicity a bit to think that Thea could take his spot, and she wondered if that would force Oliver's hand. He wouldn't let anything happen to his sister, and while she had lectured him that he could do better and find a loophole, she wasn't sure how long he could stand by that. If they came at Thea again, someone would throw Malcolm to the wolves.

There, of course, was the third option- the one Malcolm had mentioned himself. A partnership, and Felicity shuddered at the thought. Just because she didn't think he deserved to a die slowly didn't mean she wanted to help him escape it all too. It was a convoluted mess. Still, it was Oliver's choice, but she doubted he'd go for the third one. After everything Oliver and Malcolm went through, there was a lot of bad blood; it'd take a miracle for them to try and work past it.

Nonetheless, she trusted Oliver, completely. She didn't always appreciate his tone or enjoy his presence, but whatever he decided to do, she would back him. She knew he didn't want to hand Malcolm over to the League, and he couldn't kill the Dark Archer himself… so she presumed there was a possibility of them working with Mr. Merlyn.

"You're here early," Diggle said as he came down the stairs, Oliver a few steps behind him.

"You're actually late," Felicity countered as she glanced up from her computer. She tried not to stare at Oliver too long, and he had a similar idea. They barely made eye contact before they both were staring at some random corner in the Foundry.

"What are you looking for?" Diggle asked, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room.

"Was trying to track either Viper or Malcolm," Felicity sighed as she swiveled her chair around. "But of course, neither of them are findable. I have tried everything!" She frowned at the difficulty of the current predicament, but she was always one for a challenge. There had to be someway of picking up a remnant of a trail.

"Do you think they left town?" Digg asked. He moved to stand near Felicity and checked the cameras she had pulled up.

"Malcolm, if he was smart, he did," Felicity said. She saw Oliver's amused look and couldn't help the hot blush that began to creep up her face. She tried to avoid eye contact, which made it all the harder to not catch Oliver's eyes.

"Let's hope for all our sakes, he did," Digg nodded. "The last few days have been something else." He patted her on the shoulder. "But I'm sure you'll find them eventually."

Oliver cleared his throat before this went any farther, and he garnered both Digg and Felicity's attention. "There's one place you haven't looked." It was a cruel joke, but given everything that had happened, he couldn't hold it in. Felicity and Diggle both looked utterly confused, more so, when he pointed up.

From the salmon ladder, Malcolm dropped down, and Felicity let out a squeak of shock while Diggle went for his gun. However both stared in utter confusion as Malcolm came to stand next to Oliver; a smug look was present on the Dark Archer's face, and a twinkle of amusement was in his gaze when he caught Felicity's eyes.

"I basically called him an idiot and he was in the room," she whispered breathlessly. "Oh god, I said if you were smart, and you were up there. How much did you hear? Did you hear me call you..? Oh I just said it to your face." Felicity set her head in her hands and tried not to look utterly embarrassed. "Stop blabbering."

"Oliver," Digg said, a hint of warning in his voice. "Care to explain how and why he got in before I shoot him?"

"I gave him the code," Ollie admitted. He saw the shock pass over both Diggle and Felicity's face before he continued. "He wanted to talk, and I didn't want him at the mansion."

"So you gave a sociopath the key to the base?" Felicity asked. Her eyes screamed every emotion, and Oliver suddenly felt horrible for not informing either of them about Malcolm prior. This would have been incredibly easier if he had just told them last night. "Not that I'm calling you a sociopath," she explained towards Malcolm. "Well except I did, but…"

"Felicity," Oliver interrupted before she could go on a tangent. "Yes I gave him the code, but he already knew where the Foundry was."

"That still doesn't explain why he's here," Digg repeated.

"Oliver inviting me isn't enough for you Mr. Diggle?" Malcolm asked, a smirk playing across his face.

Oliver moved, so that he was between the two men. It wouldn't do any of them any good if this turned into a fight now. The Dark Archer needed to stay alive, so that Thea would be safe from the rest of the League. For that to happen, Digg couldn't be allowed to shoot him, so Oliver sadly had to put himself where he was now. He could see the look of betrayal flash across Diggle's face, and he flinched back because of it.

"Digg," Oliver started, and in the past when Diggle glared, he would have stayed quiet. This time though, he pushed on unwilling to let his friend not hear the whole story. "I did invite him here because we are out of other options."

"The rest of the hunters will come here now," Malcolm supplied. "They're not going to stop."

"And that's on you," Digg growled.

"And on Thea," Oliver added, and that got Diggle's attention. "They won't stop at Malcolm, Digg. They're going to kill my sister too."

"Did he tell you that?" Digg asked, unbelieving.

Felicity in the midst of this argument had gotten to her feet and stood near Oliver, hoping to lend him some of her strength. She could see Diggle's point, but she didn't think Oliver would have allowed Malcolm into the Foundry without a shred of evidence. That didn't mean she was entirely comfortable with the Dark Archer's presence.

"No I did," Sara said appearing at the top of the stairs. She sighed as she came down the stairs. "So option four it is. What's the plan then Ollie?" The now free League member was on the same page as Diggle: she didn't like Merlyn, and she really didn't like him in the Foundry. Her opinion of him, though, was skewed by the fact he had touched Nyssa, and now all she wanted to do was drive her bo-staff into his face a few odd number of times.

"How about we start with you two telling me everything you know about these hunters?" As he said this, he turned and caught Felicity's eye, and he realized that there was a lot for them to also talk about. She didn't deserve for him to pretend it didn't happen.

**Note:** I'm thinking Oliver and Felicity deserve their own chapter finally. I think while Sara/Malcolm/Digg converse/argue, Felicity and Oliver need to come to terms with what happened the previous night.


	29. Need

**Chapter 29**

The mood in the Foundry was far from relaxed. Everyone was on edge, and it wouldn't take much of a catalyst to cause a fight to break out. Once it was clear Malcolm had been invited, that led to Diggle putting his gun away, but he didn't relax. He watched the Dark Archer carefully, and he didn't exactly hide his contempt either. Sara was on the same page as Digg, and she was eyeing up the elder Merlyn. It was obvious that she was hoping that he'd do something that would allow her to beat him into the ground.

"One big happy arrow family," Felicity couldn't help but mutter at the scene unfolding before her. Neither ex-League members seemed to be overly talkative about their past experiences, and Oliver looked ready to dock someone because of it. He had asked a fairly simple question, but Sara and Malcolm looked to be waiting for the other to start.

"This is helpful," Digg couldn't help but comment.

"Figure this out," Oliver growled to his teammates referring mostly to Sara and Malcolm. "We are going to work together." He stepped away for the moment and lightly grabbed Felicity's arm. This probably wasn't the best of times for a conversation, but he had heard Felicity's comment. Diggle and Sara were not on his side concerning Malcolm; he needed to have someone in his corner.

Since the Foundry was a bit overcrowded at the moment, Oliver led Felicity back upstairs to the club level. It was still empty since the officers had left, and he took her to the back room where they wouldn't be interrupted. Releasing her, Oliver stepped away and considered his IT girl. She didn't look too ruffled considering he dragged her here, but she didn't look happy either. Her lips were pursed, and she had her arms crossed in front of her.

"I need you," he stated bluntly, and that caught her off guard. The aggression in her gaze faded, and she relaxed a bit. He wasn't even talking about the previous night, but she seemed to understand that. Felicity had always been like that; she was exceptional at reading between the lines. "That's the only way this will work."

"Maybe you shouldn't have shoved us all into a room with no warning then," she explained. She attempted to look angered; instead, it mostly came off annoyed at the situation. "He killed a lot of people, and you want us to work with him… like it didn't happen?"

"No, of course not," he sighed. He rubbed his face wearily. "But I don't know what else to do. My usual method of 'putting the fear of God' into them won't work here. The League… they're not common criminals." He knew he didn't need to explain it to Felicity, but he had the urge to say it aloud. Perhaps, he was still trying to convince himself he had taken the right course of action. "I," he began again, but Felicity closed the distance effectively silencing him. He watched her wearingly.

"Oliver," she said softly. "It's not that you decided to work with him. I think even Diggle could have gotten behind it _if_ you had given us any heads up about it." She was close enough to touch him, but she didn't. "Why didn't you tell us? Did you not trust us?"

"Of course, I trust you," he frowned. Last year, he had made that choice, and he hadn't rescinded on it yet. "To tell you the truth, I didn't think you'd agree with me." He lowered his gaze and head towards the floor. He had been so worried of the fight that would ensure if he had told them, he hadn't stopped to consider the fact they could have sided with him. Instead, he forced them together, and he began to regret his timing of his actions.

"You should have trusted us," Felicity repeated. "Trusted that we had your back." She could tell when something was eating Oliver on the inside, and she hated watching him suffer for it.

"I just couldn't risk Thea," he whispered. With a snort, he added, "The Island was easier than this."

"I thought…"

"Five years, and it was always easy to tell who the enemy was," he said truthfully. He could feel Felicity's body heat from where he stood, and he glanced up to catch her worried gaze. "Everyone… everyone on the island was the enemy. Just occasionally you had to make a deal with the devil to live."

"Malcolm isn't the devil," Felicity offered weakly. "Considering his body count, he could be, but he's not. Not in this situation."

Oliver cocked his head to the side and tried to understand where Felicity was coming from. In his mind, he had practically signed his soul away when he let Malcolm into the Foundry. There were no others, but she seemed stubborn enough to contradict him.

"If you had made that deal with the League," she explained. "Handed Malcolm over to," she said as she shuddered, "_that _knowingly." It was true; the League was a demon in disguise.

"Would you have stood behind me then?" he asked. He had thought about it, and if the League had told him it was Malcolm or Thea, the decision would have been made. As it was, he had a hard time not giving the Dark Archer over to them in exchange to protect Sara.

"Of course," she smiled. "I would have told you that you were being an idiot and a stubborn one at that, but I'd have your back." He waited for some odd and awkward comment, but for once, she looked to have control of her words. Unable to help himself, he pulled her into a hug; she seemingly always made the situation better even unknowingly. "Well you are still a stubborn…"

"Felicity," he chuckled, "shut up." He meant it as a joke and not mean; she understood and tightened her grasp on him. As they pulled away, he looked down on his IT girl and smiled softly. He was half tempted to run back to the Foundry, but she deserved better. They had to talk about it even if it was to agree that it should never happen again… which Oliver would detest. "Last night…" he began.

"Don't worry," she beamed. "It's already forgotten." She figured that's what he wanted to hear, and when she turned to leave, her heart hurting, she was shocked when he snatched her wrist and pulled her back into him.

"I don't want it forgotten," he said, holding her gaze and tilting her head up. "I don't think it was a mistake Felicity… unless you do."

"Well, um, it was a mistake in that you didn't mean to kiss me I'm sure," she bumbled. "It was heat of the moment. Heat, sweat, and you were wet… Oh god." She closed her eyes as the images of a half-naked Oliver assaulted her brain.

"Felicity," he murmured, and his quiet tone caused her to open her eyes and see he had a look of determination. "I never do things… by accident."

"So you, you meant to kiss me?" she asked as her mouth formed an 'O'. She had thought that perhaps after the week Oliver had that she happened to just be the closest warm body… but then again, she thought back to that night and wondered if that had been the night he had spoken with Malcolm… she quickly shook the thoughts from her head and focused on this moment. "But…"

"I need you Felicity," he said again, and this time he meant more than in his corner. He watched the different number of emotions run across her face, and he tried to discern what she had to be thinking.

"But you and Sara… aren't you two," she said motioning with her hands… something. "I thought…"

"She's a tie to who I was," he said with a shake of his head. Him and Sara had never defined what they were, but he did know that they weren't a couple. They used each other as a way to forget the past and to try and live in the present; that was made all the more difficult by the fact they seemingly only remembered how they were from the Island. They both weren't those people anymore, but it was hard to look past that darkness that corrupted both their souls. The things they did on the island would haunt them, and while they used the other to try and forget, it was hard considering that the other was a blatant reminder of what happened.

"What am I?" she asked unsure if she wanted the answer.

"You're my girl," he answered with a smile. More than anything, he wanted to lean down and kiss her again. He had always thought of Felicity prior to this as a friend, but after watching the Count threaten her, Viper poison her… he began to realize exactly how important she was to him. If it was a choice between her and Malcolm with the League…

"Not to interrupt," Digg said poking his head into the room, and he looked immediately embarrassed by whatever he had obviously walked in on. Felicity and Oliver pulled away, both reluctantly. This conversation would have to continue. "But you have two assassins downstairs ready to claw the other's eyes out."

"Wonderful," Oliver muttered and wondered exactly where he placed his bow. He wasn't sure if he was more annoyed by the fact Sara and Malcolm were ready to go at it or if was because their potential fight had interrupted something between himself and Felicity. He turned to the IT girl, but she was already walking briskly away. "Felicity," he said, a hint of an unknown emotion tinging his voice.

"They better not hit my computers!" she said as she pushed past Oliver. Her emotions were all over the place, and she wasn't sure what to think. Oliver and her had spent so much time together prior to the kiss, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to become another 'notch' on Oliver's belt… immediately, she felt bad for thinking that; she knew he wasn't that kind of man anymore. Still, she wasn't sure if she was ready for their relationship to evolve. How could she be? They had been partners, then friends… and how could she wrap her mind around Oliver Queen actually wanting her. She just needed a moment to process this all, and then, she could decide what she wanted to do.

She heard Oliver call her name, but she continued down the stairs. Once they reached the bottom, she watched as he switched from focusing on her to staring down Sara and Malcolm. He stalked away from her to go and deal with them, and she let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"What had that been about?" Digg asked pointing up and referring to what he had walked in on.

She frowned and said, "I don't know."

**Note:** Well that was a fun chapter to write. I must say Oliver/Felicity can be difficult to write as I don't want to rush either of them... However, they like to just argue with me and go about things their own way. Anyways coming up, we learn a bit more about the hunters and what to expect when they return. Felicity and Oliver continue to step on thin ice around the other, and a test of trust for Malcolm and Oliver when Cyrus returns (I can't remember when he shows back up in the show, but I'm just making an entirely new situation for the mirakuru infused guy to screw with our hero and sort of hero).

ALSO a huge THANK YOU to everyone that's reviewed. I saw that its over 50 reviews finally, and you know what I might write this, but you guys really inspire me to keep on going. It makes me happy to know that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy typing it. So thank you again!


	30. Acceptable

**Chapter 30**

Oliver chanced a glance towards Felicity to see she was already hard at work, and he felt like an idiot. He wasn't sure what had come over him these last two days, and he still couldn't explain it away. There had always been a soft spot for Felicity, but the recent events had exasperated it to the point of it being unknown. Oliver had always been a man of action, even the island hadn't changed that entirely, but he had been lying when he told Felicity he meant to kiss her. He kissed her, but he hadn't realized he had done it until it was over… and now, all he could think of was doing it again.

There wasn't any regret, per say. He just wasn't sure his timing was entirely appropriate either day, and he wanted to sit her down and talk about what she wanted. Oliver didn't want to pressure her into anything, and he wanted to be sure anything that she could feel for him was born out of actual emotions and not because of the Hood. It wouldn't be the first time a girl fell for the vigilante image he portrayed, and he had to be sure Felicity hadn't responded to him because she thought she should. Internally, Oliver groaned; he never remembered being this bad with girls or not understanding what they wanted. This was one of the few times he wished the island hadn't changed him as much as it had; he could need some of his old insight right now.

"Ollie?" Sara asked when she realized his attention seemed divided. The emerald archer snapped back to himself and turned towards the two ex-League members.

"The hunters," he said vaguely. "What do you know?"

"Nothing," Malcolm said, and when he received a glare for his answer, he decided to elaborate. "I was with the League when Tommy was eight years old. The hunters are now different." It was true enough; the five he had known, or at least heard of, were either dead or had integrated themselves into the normal ranks of the League.

"Maybe different people, but I'd guess similar techniques," Oliver responded. He had assumed Ra's Al Ghul had trained or helped to train most of the hunters, so the styles had to have some resemblances. He looked to Sara to try and expand what little they currently knew about the hunters: Talia and Viper weren't the only members.

"There are always five," the Dark Archer supplied when Sara remained stubbornly silent. She was still staring him down with a fury unmatched. He didn't need to be told what he did to deserve it, and he realized he was treading on thin ice around her. It wouldn't take much to set her off, and while he was certain he could take the Canary in a fight, he didn't think Oliver would appreciate the girl's blood staining the Foundry floor. For the moment, he needed Oliver's help, so he'd play by the other archer's rules… at least for now. "And each usually have a favored weapon."

"Hunters are similar to wolves," Sara finally said, breaking her eye contact with Malcolm. She leaned back against the column and crossed her arms. "They do well enough on their own with small prey."

"And as a group?" Oliver asked.

"Precise," Malcolm sighed. "It is rare for all five hunters to work as a group. Two might come together, but..."

"There's no need usually for more than two," Sara continued. "We aren't trained to take on hunters. They're trained to kill us." She looked to Malcolm as she said, "Two is enough… unless of course you piss off Ra's Al Ghul. Then overkill is expected."

"So does kidnapping his daughter count as one of those times?" Felicity asked innocently enough. Sara's look told the IT girl everything she needed to know, so she spun around and continued work on her computer. She knew that ARGUS had something on Nyssa now, so she wanted to see if they had anything of value on the League's head.

"If you two hadn't attacked me, this would have already been taken care of," Malcolm stated matter-of-factly. He watched as Sara tensed, and he could see that she wanted to move in and try to take his head. With Nyssa involved, he would have to watch his words carefully.

"She took my mother," Sara hissed. "With your track record, you can't blame us for thinking it was you to start."

Before this escalated, Oliver stepped between the two and put himself as the buffer. "Focus," he stated, and he waited until both of their bodies relaxed from their coiled tension. "Whad do you know about these specific hunters? What will they do first?"

"Expect all five to show up," Malcolm began.

"He's right," Sara sighed. "He's announced himself as a valid threat by touching Nyssa." She looked angry as she said this. "But that also gives us an advantage."

"Like one hunter wasn't enough," Felicity muttered. "How is five better than one? I mean math?" She said this louder, and Oliver couldn't help but smile a bit. A taste of normal made everything less stressful.

"When hunters work in groups, they prefer to take a period to learn the layout," Malcolm explained. "We will have some time before the hunters rear their heads. They're going to do recon first, and then decide on a plan." The downside of all of this being that once hunters did a bit of digging and had a plan, it would be nearly fool proof.

"So we have time," Oliver summarized. He could work with that. They just had to get ahead of the hunters and decide on a plan. "Do we know anything else about the hunters?" he referred this more to Sara as Malcolm had already said he didn't know these specific ones.

Sara licked her lips, not sensual in any way but in annoyance, before she nodded. "Alec and Talia, of course," she said. "Kali, Tyri, and Reese are the remaining hunters. I don't know their preferred weapons, but as hunters, they'll be exceptionally proficient in one."

Malcolm interrupted not knowing Sara was about to say this, "But they will be skilled in using any weapon."

Sara snorted, but otherwise, she didn't respond to the interruption. "Kali and Reese would be the next ones to worry about. They have similar ideals to Talia."

"Okay am I the only one confused about the differences in the code between hunters?" Felicity asked. She watched as Oliver's gaze caught hers for a moment before snapping back to the others. He looked uncomfortable to be in the same room suddenly, and she wondered what she did for that sort of reaction.

"It's something about casualties," Digg explained.

"It's about acceptable casualties," Malcolm corrected.

"Remember that story I told you about Viper poisoning an entire restaurant for one man?" Sara asked, and it was hard to forget that. "I left out what happened next. Talia convinced her father that there was no guarantee the man was in the restaurant and could be in the hotel below. She had the building collapsed, and the League had the story spun about the structural weakness of beams."

"How many died?" Digg asked, his face steeled against the horror he just heard.

"Hundred," Sara whispered, head lowered. There were times she wasn't always proud of what the League did, and while the hunters' actions did not directly inspire her to run, hearing about their casualties didn't help her to stay either. She understood the League's point, and she grasped why the hunters were necessary… it was situations like that though that she didn't understand the necessary casualties clause anymore.

"I heard about that," Malcolm said. "Some place in Hong Kong, wasn't it?"

Sara nodded. "Worst of it was that Viper had been correct. They DNA tested all of the dead and found that the man they were hunting had died in the restaurant. Talia, Reese, and Kali believe that it doesn't matter how many you have to kill to get the job done while Viper and Tyri will kill whoever it takes to get their prey, if there is a way to avoid mass murder, they will."

"So collapsing a building on a hundred innocent people is considered acceptable?" Felicity said breathlessly. Oliver stood stoically as he considered what he was being told. The picture of what exactly was coming to Starling was beginning to form, and he didn't like what he was seeing. He unconsciously shifted closer to Felicity.

"How about we stop kidding ourselves?" Ollie growled. "There is no such thing as acceptable innocent casualties. The hunters are pretending what they do is noble. What they actually do is get away with murder." It's how Oliver saw it, and it was how he needed to see it if he wanted to stop the hunters at all costs.

"What are you suggesting?" Sara asked. "You won't and can't kill them, and they won't stop until he's," she said referring to Malcolm, "dead, and they won't stop at him. They'll take Thea as well. You went after Ra's Al Ghul daughter, they go after yours."

Felicity glanced up to Oliver to see his inner turmoil. He had refused to kill or hand Malcolm over, and by doing that, he had dug himself a hole so deep that she wasn't sure if he could get out on his own. But he didn't have to; Felicity had his back, always would. As she stared, she could see the lines on his face hardening; she recognized the look he had from when the Count took her. To Oliver, he might have traded killing one person to killing five, but at least, he could delude himself with the idea that the hunters would continue to drop bodies, one of which would be his sister if he didn't stop them. Malcolm might have killed five hundred plus people, and Oliver despised the man for that…

"What if they think he's dead?" Felicity asked. She had their attention now.

"It's no good," Sara said with a shake of her head. "They want him to suffer, and if he's dead, then they will go after Thea."

"And if she's dead too?" Felicity then questioned, and when she saw Oliver's face, she quickly blanched over her word choice. "I meant if they think she's dead too."

"You want to make them both vanish," Digg elaborated getting where the IT girl was going. They all turned and watched as Felicity hacked certain mainframes with ease and pulled up death certificates.

"Faking their deaths is only temporary," Sara sighed.

"And I don't want to put Thea's safety in the hands of him," Oliver whispered directly to Felicity. He understood where she was coming from.

"And then they'll find a new target to take finally," the Canary finished with. "Perhaps Mrs. Queen… or because Oliver has done an amazing job of being in their way, they could go after him."

"So that blood for blood is more like water?" Digg asked, and Sara shrugged. The League preferred a relative to take the place of the guilty, but if there wasn't anyone left and Ra's Al Ghul still wanted blood, then they'd take whoever they deemed a relative. She had seen husbands and wives take the others place in the past.

"Then there's also the fact he was found out," Oliver stated as he straightened himself. "How long before they discover it was all a ruse again?"

"Well Oliver," Malcolm scowled, "the only reason I was found out in the first place was because of your mother. She called Ra's Al Ghul and told him… after I paid the jury to set her free."

Oliver groaned and tried to take a relaxing breath. Of course, his mother was still involved and somehow began this cascade of a mess they currently were in.

**Note:** So next chapter we bring back Cyrus (since Oliver didn't kill him in this story or save Roy) and what's going on with Slade. This entire next part is really going to be focused on Slade and what he's doing and less about the hunters (since they're in their refractory period).

Before any of you ask, the other three hunters are OC (of course), and while they'll be in here, it's more of that they'll mentioned. As for Talia, yes I am talking her up, and don't worry, she will be just as much trouble if not more.

Finally, Oliver is still in the weeds over to kill or not to kill. The focus has shifted from Malcolm, but it hasn't gone away. In that way this still follows the show, but its only going to get worse before it gets better.

One more thing (jeesh so much), Nyssa will be coming back a lot sooner here than in the show as well. She might not be a 'hunter' per say but she's trained similar to one and like hell she's leaving Sara in the same city as her psychotic sister.


	31. Cooperation

**Chapter 31**

Felicity watched as Malcolm and Sara squared off again; they had yet to turn to blows, but if looks were anything to go by, both of them would be dead given the chance. The blonde just wanted to stay out of it as much as possible, and she was doing her best to figure out different ways to successfully erase Malcolm and Thea from the map. Oliver wanted a plan in place in case the hunters moved in sooner than they'd expected, and she wasn't thrilled with the idea that he'd keep five psychopaths busy while one slipped away with Thea.

As she worked, a police report popped up and interrupted her, and as she scanned it, she wasted no time turning to see Oliver was back on the salmon ladder. Frustration was written across his face, and his body language screamed out that he wasn't in the mood for much. However, she knew he'd want to know about this.

"A pharmaceutical truck was just hit," she said, and this caught the vigilante's attention. "Tranquilizers were just stolen, and the police have him cornered in a nearby warehouse."

"Same man that stole the centrifudge?" Sara asked, and Felicity confirmed. "Oliver let the police handle this. I can't go with you tonight. I'm on thin ice with my family, and they expect me home."

"And we both know they can't handle it," Oliver stated as he dropped down and moved to grab his uniform. He zipped on his hood and turned to grab his bow, but Sara was there stopping him. "He could kill one of them."

"He could kill you," she whispered. "He almost did last time. You can't go alone…" She sighed and went to fetch her own outfit. She'd take her family being angry with her over Oliver getting himself successfully killed.

He watched as she reluctantly dressed, and he realized how much she must have missed her family. Her father might have known about her survival, but her sister and mother hadn't. They had just gotten her back, and she hadn't had any time to just be with them. He could see the hurt on her face because even if she didn't think that they'd accept her as she was now, she still wanted to be with them. Oliver glanced over to see Malcolm had his bow in hand and was watching the scene unfold silently.

"I won't be going alone," Oliver said, and Sara turned in time to see him gesture towards Malcolm.

"You can't trust him Ollie," she hissed truthfully so.

Oliver went to argue, but Malcolm inserted himself into the conversation. "I also need him alive Ms. Lance. I am sure you can believe that." The Dark Archer wasn't a complete fool; he realized that without Oliver the rest of his team would be unwilling to help the archer against the League. The last thing he needed was for the elder Queen to go and get himself killed.

"Go home Sara," Oliver said with a small smile. He saw her move in for either a hug or kiss; he wasn't sure, but he pulled back enough to only peck her on the cheek. If she was shocked by his sudden lack of affection, she didn't show it or acknowledge it. "I'll be fine."

"Don't worry I'll be watching him," Felicity quipped happily enough. She too wasn't thrilled by the prospect of Oliver and Malcolm going into the field together, but the least she could do is show that she trusted Oliver's decision. When he got back though, she had every intention of telling him that he was an idiot. "Watching him via the cameras," she explained further before slowly turning back to her computers.

"If you get him killed," she said threating to Malcolm.

"Calm," he sighed. "If I get him killed, you can hand me personally over to Nyssa." He was certain that their combined skill would be enough even for a super solider. It was the police that worried the Dark Archer more; they had a tendency to be a bit trigger happier when masks were involved. Pulling his cowl over his face and hood up, he gestured for Oliver to lead the way.

Sara watched the two men leave the Foundry, and she saw Diggle follow a short moment later. He'd keep Oliver safe from any threat including the newest team member. Felicity worked quickly to pull up traffic cams to follow the men to the sight as she directed Oliver via comm. The police had set up a barricade but hadn't entered the warehouse of interest yet. The archers had to hurry if they wanted to keep police casualties from occurring.

On sight, Oliver scaled a roof to try and get a vantage point. He kneeled at the edge while Malcolm stayed to the shadows. The Dark Archer blended seamlessly into the darkness of the night and brick of the building. There were twenty cops that Oliver could spot, and he'd guess that there would be at least two snipers unseen.

Malcolm stepped forward and almost as though he read Oliver's mind pointed to a roof opposite of their own. While it was hard to see, Ollie could eventually make out the silhouette of one sniper.

Pulling a comm from his pocket, he handed it to Malcolm. "Felicity, do you have the blueprints for this particular building pulled up?" Ollie asked. "I need an entry route that won't leave us both open to police fire." He had a few idea, but he wanted to know what was behind those windows before he went through them. It wouldn't do well to have a twenty foot drop to the floor.

"_On it_," Felicity answered, and even through his comms, he could hear her typing furiously away. The sound brought a smile to his face.

"No casualties," Oliver growled towards Malcolm, and the Dark Archer held up his hands.

"This is your operation," he agreed. "But do not presume to think I don't know how this works."

"We aren't killing people," the emerald archer responded.

Malcolm paused in his quip and decided to try another way. He needed Oliver to trust him to some degree, and the only way to do that was to try and fix the bridge he had destroyed with the younger archer. Oliver and Tommy had grown up together, and Malcolm had watched them. He might not have always been a good father, but he had been in the picture… and he had been friends with Robert. "You are not the first to try it this way Oliver," he said, and when he saw Oliver glance towards him, he knew he had the boy's attention. "When I returned released from the League, I, too, tried to clean it up with similar methods to your own. I tried to scare the scum of the Glades, and I tried to honor what the League taught me about control."

Oliver hadn't known that. When the Dark Archer had been working, he had stuck to the shadows, so the police hadn't even known there had been a prior vigilante. In his ear, he could hear Felicity explaining the interior structure, but he found his attention still drawn to the elder Merlyn.

"What changed?" Oliver asked.

"Nothing," Malcolm said a breath later. "Nothing changed, and that was the problem. The disease infesting our city still grew, and nothing I did could change that." He sighed as he thought back on Robert, and the things they had done together. "That's when I tried to clean it up with the List. Force the criminal elite to give back something, but again, nothing… I had to do something to save my city."

"So you leveled the Glades?" Oliver growled, and he could feel the older man tense behind him. "So what did that change Mr. Merlyn?" he asked as he stood and notched an arrow. He stared at Malcolm as he lined up a shot where he could zip-line in onto a railway. He waited patiently for an answer, the truth of it all.

Finally, the Dark Archer broke their stare and nodded, "Nothing. It also changed nothing."

Feeling a bit of a victory, Oliver took the shot and crossed the air. Police could be heard shouting below, but they didn't immediately open fire. Bursting through the window, Oliver braced himself for anything, but he heard and saw nothing. Most of the lights were broken, so the building was drenched in darkness. Notching another arrow, Oliver stood and slowly made his way along the second level. Outside he heard the tell-tale signs of gunfire, but he didn't get a chance to turn and check on Malcolm when he was tossed over the railing.

With a thump, the vigilante landed on his back, and his bow skidded away. He rolled to the side in time to miss Cyrus jumping down, foot where his head was. Standing, Oliver ducked back and blocked the first two hits; both vibrated through his body, and he clenched his teeth to focus past it. A right hook caught him unaware, and he dropped from the strength of it. However, he used the momentum to his advantage, and with his hands as a counterbalance, he kicked up and caught Cyrus in the neck.

The larger man stumbled away, and Oliver kicked again. This time though, Cyrus caught the Hood's foot and twisted. To avoid the sprain, the vigilante rolled with it and allowed himself to fall onto his side on the pavement. Before he could break the hold though, Oliver was flung across the room and into a wall. He hissed at the impact, but at least now, he had sight of his bow.

Cyrus was moving towards the downed archer, but Oliver wasn't ready to give up yet. In the back of his mind, he could hear Tommy ordering him to his feet; the hallucination might have faded, but his best friend's words hadn't. Before he could get to his bow though, Cyrus caught him around the neck, and even with the mask on, Oliver could tell the man was grinning because he was choking the life out of the vigilante.

Unwilling to give up, Oliver slammed his elbow down on Cyrus arm, breaking the hold, and he followed it with a head-butt. Slipping under the angry Cyrus, Oliver surged forward to grab his bow. He felt a hand snake around his ankle, and he tripped. Rolling onto his back, he readied an arrow, but the only clear shot he had would kill the man. Before the decision was made though, Cyrus cried out in a snarl and spun away from Oliver. In his back were three black arrows and standing on the above rafters was the Dark Archer.

Malcolm dropped down, and while he wanted to go on the offensive, he had to back up when the brute rushed him. Hoping to slow the man down, Oliver put two arrows directly into Cyrus's calf, and the man stumbled in turn. Malcolm rushed in then and kicked him across the chest spinning him towards Oliver, who didn't waste time in grabbing Cyrus in a hold and flipping the larger man over his shoulder.

The two archers stood side by side, both of their bows at the ready. Oliver chanced a glance to Malcolm to see the older man was favoring his right arm, and when the emerald archer looked closer, he could see a bullet graze. The Dark Archer hadn't escaped the police unscathed, and Oliver hoped that it was only Malcolm sporting an injury. None of his team would be accepting of this arrangement if Mr. Merlyn killed a police officer.

"Your call Arrow," Malcolm stated. The Dark Archer would have loved nothing more than to kill the other man, but he realized this would only work between himself and Oliver if there was some sort of cooperation. The League had taught him how to work as a team, even with members he had despised; he could use that training here.

Oliver was a bit taken back that Malcolm was referring to him on this, but he was glad for it too. They could only work together if they were willing to try and understand the other… which included certain aspects of Oliver's new code. That didn't mean there was still any trust between the two men; there was a lot of bad blood there. However, this was a step in the right direction. Using the other's judgment would help to forge a bond that would help them against the hunters.

Cyrus snarled and rushed them both, so when Oliver didn't fire the arrow, neither did Malcolm. They split and attacked Cyrus from both sides. While he was stronger, the two archers were intelligent enough to dodge certain hits that would flatten them. When Cyrus went to try and catch Oliver in a down-set punch, the vigilante ducked and rolled forward. Malcolm used the fact the mirakuru-infused man was now off-balance to his advantage. He jumped and was able to catch the man's head between his legs. With a hard jolt of momentum, Malcolm flipped them both and sent Cyrus sprawling to the cement. When he went to stand again, Oliver put three more arrows in him. However, that only slowed Cyrus but didn't stop him.

"That's unfortunate," Malcolm muttered as he ducked another punch, but he was unable to block the follow-up. He saw stars for a brief second before he centered himself and threw two knives into the man's sternum. Again, this didn't stop Cyrus; he kicked Malcolm hard in the chest and sent the elder Merlyn back a few feet. He got up slowly and cringing. "This isn't simply adrenaline," he stated as he kept some distance between himself and the thief. His ribs were on fire, but he could tell nothing was broken. He had enough broken bones to know what that felt like.

"No it's not," Oliver sighed. He had forgotten that he had yet to explain mirakuru to Malcolm, and he swore to himself that he'd get around to that when they returned. Options were limited, and both archers were beginning to show signs of fatigue.

"Up," Malcolm growled pointing. "One of your trick arrows."

Oliver got the point fairly quickly, and he put two explosive arrows into the rafters above. It collapsed directly on top of Cyrus, and that finally seemed to slow the man. Neither archer risked approaching though; instead, they both silently readied another arrow.

When Cyrus still didn't budge, Oliver went to check the man, but Malcolm pushed past and did it himself. Reaching under the mask, Malcolm felt for a pulse, and he didn't get a chance to step away when Cyrus launched up through the debris with a snarl. He reached for the Dark Archer, but he didn't finish the movement when an arrow pierced his eye through the mask. A strangled cry rose from his bloody lips, and Cyrus collapsed back, somehow still alive. The mask had prevented the arrow from penetrating Cyrus's brain, but the eye was useless now.

Oliver lowered his bow and tried not to think of Slade. His mentor's face was at the back of his mind, and he could hear the word _kid_ practically echoing through the warehouse. Malcolm looked to Oliver and nodded his thanks; that close he could have been easily killed, and he would have had no time to put up a proper defense. He cursed himself silently for dropping too much of his guard, but at least, he had seen that Oliver was willing to honor their agreement. He didn't think the elder Queen was just protecting him, so that Oliver could be sure to have something to hand to the League other than Thea.

"Freeze!" an officer shouted from an open window. Some tear gas was thrown in, but both archers ignored it for the moment and considered the screaming Cyrus.

"I see you didn't kill them," Oliver stated referring to the police officers.

"It was tempting," Malcolm admitted. "But I know how to play by your and your team's rules."

The door was kicked in, and SWAT poured in. Oliver motioned for Malcolm to follow, and they both shot arrows into the ceiling that they could repel up. Below, they watched the angered Cyrus ignore their abrupt exit and rush the police instead. The cops didn't waste any time pumping the mirakuru soldier full of bullets. A few officers shot towards the archers, but all their bullets did was further risk the structural integrity of the rafters.

Both Oliver and Malcolm realized that the steel was ready to give again from all the recent damage, so they quickly moved just as it gave out. A good ton of steel fell directly onto Cyrus and thankfully no officers. The mirakuru soldier finally stopped moving and fell silent. Without the screaming, it felt quiet to Oliver even with all the bullets still going.

"Let's go," Oliver said, his eyes still drawn to Cyrus. He couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity from his mind.

**Note:** After all that talking, I felt you guys deserved an action chapter. The last one I felt while important wasn't all that exciting, so viola. Slade makes a brief return next chapter to discuss the next part of his devious plan, and Oliver and Malcolm continue to try and find common ground. There is still a lot for them to get over, but at least, there is some sort of understanding. The one being out in the field- I have your back if you have mine.


	32. The Beginnings of a Promise

**Chapter 32**

The adrenaline kept the edge of pain at bay, but once that faded, Oliver was sure he'd feel the brunt of every sore muscle and bruise. He could tell when his body had taken a beating, and tonight against Cyrus, he felt as though he had gotten off easily considering everything. Mirakuru was dangerous, and inside a madman, it was lethal.

Slade Wilson came to mind, and the green archer couldn't help but lower his head in thoughts. There was so much on his mind lately, but always at the back, clawing to reach the surface was Slade. They had been friends, brothers even, and in the end, Oliver had ignored the insanity gripping Slade and drove an arrow through his eye. It hadn't been Oliver's proudest moment, and it was something he was sure he would always regret. He could save the city a thousand times over, but he'd always remember the one person who deserved saving more than anything, and he had turned away.

Descending into the Foundry was a somber event. A battle had been won, but there was something much larger at play. Cyrus had mirakuru in his blood, something that never should have left the island. With the hunters, the younger archer hadn't had time to look into this, and with the recent theft of the centrifuge, he knew he had to get back to it. Cyrus wouldn't be the last with mirakuru.

Both archers dumped their gear onto a table, frightening Felicity who hadn't noticed their return. She turned and watched in slight amusement as Oliver and Malcolm had similar tendencies. First, they checked their bows, then off went the hoods, and finally, they tested limbs. Each groaned as muscles protested even the tiniest of movements. The adrenaline was wearing off fast.

"No bullet holes?" Felicity quipped standing and helping Oliver remove his jacket. He grimaced barely, and she had to give him credit when she had his jacket off. His entire back was covered in a sick blue and black bruise that was spiraling along his side. She tried not to flinch as she set his hood down.

"Not this time," Oliver said, but his usual humor was gone. He'd be sore for days, and he tried not to think of how he'd sleep tonight. "I want you to pull up the autopsy on our friend when it's done. And get a shipping schedule for whatever tranquilizer he was trying to steal."

"You think he wasn't working alone?" Digg asked; he didn't show any shock at the state Oliver was in. While the archer hadn't explicitly stated what mirakuru did to the human body, Digg had seen enough to know it was bad news.

"We need to get ahead of this," Ollie sighed as he reached for a normal shirt. He was thankful he had worn dark colors now; if his mother saw these bruises, he didn't think bike accident would cover it.

"This?" Felicity asked as she returned to her computer. She brushed past Malcolm, who was still dressed in his League attire. He stepped aside to let Felicity pass, but otherwise didn't make a move or comment. His eyes bore into Oliver though; the ex-CEO was putting pieces of a puzzle together. Once he had a clear picture, he would question the Queen scion.

"That centrifuge, this batch of tranquilizers," he stated vaguely. "Someone is planning to mass produce the mirakuru."

Malcolm actually recognized that work; he had heard it whispered as a miracle cure… but it had been a fantasy, a scientist's and militant's dream. Nothing more… However, it would explain a lot, and Malcolm narrowed his gaze. With his contacts, it made sense that he might have heard the word prior; there had been some researcher years ago that had dropped off the map with the certainty that he'd find it. The boat if Malcolm remembered right was never found nor was the researcher. Mr. Merlyn had to wonder how Oliver would have heard of mirakuru, and more so, the Dark Archer recognized that the young man had had close contact with it prior. He had to wonder if Oliver had come into contact with the miracle drug on the island then.

Shifting and stifling his own groan, the Dark Archer turned to watch Felicity work. She was pulling up shipping schedules and potential routes of trucks that would carry it. Cyrus had failed tonight; if he was working with someone, they would still need the medicine. This wasn't Malcolm's fight, and he wasn't thrilled with the prospect of getting back into the ring, so to speak, with someone on mirakuru. His face and side were already throbbing, and while he hadn't taken as many hits as Oliver, Malcolm was sure he was on the same page as the other archer. He wanted to sit, find a large ice pack, and not move for a few hours if not days.

"That would not be good," Felicity said in regards to Oliver's last comment. "Right?"

"Right," he agreed. He stood near the IT girl, his shirt only half buttoned, and as he leaned to get a closer look at the truck schedules, Felicity couldn't help but notice. Her cheeks burned, and she tried not to stare… too much. "Covering this will be difficult," he eventually sighed and leaned back.

"Buttons work well," Felicity muttered, her eyes still drawn to him, and when Oliver shot her a strange look, she shook out of her trance. "I mean don't cover up. Well, cover up if you want. You meant covering the truck routes didn't you?"

"Yes Felicity, the truck routes," he reiterated, but he had gone quickly to finishing with his shirt.

"Between you, me, your bodyguard and Sara, we should be able to cover enough ground to prevent anymore thefts," Malcolm stated stepping forward. This wasn't his fight, but the threat of mirakuru was enough to garner his attention. Thea wouldn't be safe with an army of those afflicted, and it was better to deal with one situation at a time. If a dozen mirakuru-infused madmen hit the streets at the same time the hunters returned, it wouldn't matter if they worked as a team. All of them would be overwhelmed. "This is still my city too." He might have leveled part of it, but he had done that to save it.

Oliver turned to regard Malcolm. "Do you know what mirakuru is?"

"I have heard of it in my travels," Malcolm admitted. "With work." He didn't define if he meant work as a CEO or the Dark Archer, and Oliver didn't ask. "You seem to have experience with it though."

"Perhaps," Oliver said through clenched teeth. He didn't want to talk about the island, and the other archer seemed to sense this and didn't pursue the question further. "Right now, we need to keep it off the streets and find out who has it." He was about to continue when his phone started to ring; he would have ignored it if it hadn't been Thea calling. Answering it, he glared at Malcolm to stay quiet. "Whoa, whoa, Thea. What's wrong?" he asked. She sounded upset, and he was worried that the hunters had already returned. Fear gripped his heart until she continued on about her missing boyfriend. "Just calm down. I'll be home soon, and we can talk about it then. No don't go looking for Roy on your own. Wait for me." With a sigh, he hung up. Felicity and Diggle understood well enough that they had no reason to question the conversation.

Malcolm, on the other hand, couldn't help but ask, "Who's Roy?" His tone sounded exactly like a disapproving father.

…..

Sara stood in the clock tower, her knuckles white as she gripped one of the many railings in her make-shift home. In the corner, her phone continued to go off, but like all the times before, she ignored it. She hadn't been lying to Oliver when she said she had to go home to her family, but she had left out how she didn't want to. Today had been stressful enough without her sister raving at her about death and life. Sara loved her sister, but fighting a hunter was a hundred times easier then dealing with the emotional burden her family hauled onto her.

At some point, she'd have to suck it up and return home if only to say that she hadn't run off again, as tempting as that was. She just hoped she could put it off a bit longer. This way too, at the very least, they could acclimate to the idea that she was alive and not dead at the bottom of the ocean. The last fight she had with Laurel had been over just that, except it had been directed at Oliver for lying to them. Her father understood the lies, so did her mother to some degree now, but she wasn't about to tell her sister that she was an assassin, a murderer. It had been better if they had thought her dead at the bottom of the sea.

When she heard someone come up behind her, she was half tensed for a fight, and half ready to give up. She wasn't sure what she wanted at the moment. She had wanted her family, and she had them now… so why did she only think of Nyssa every time she closed her eyes?

The Canary thought perhaps Viper had stayed to kill her anyway… or perhaps Nyssa… and that drove her to turn around, arms pinned to her sides. She could fight, but that wasn't what she wanted to do, not in this moment, not if it was Nyssa. However, it wasn't, and Sin looked shocked to see her. Sara tried to look reassuring, but based on the fact Sin still hadn't shook off her surprise, Sara believed she had failed.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," she said, her voice higher than usual and rushed. She was obviously stressed and worried, and Sara wondered what had happened. It worried her to see her friend in this state.

"I've been busy," she said, and while it was little to go on, she knew Sin wouldn't press her for more. They had an understanding that certain information just wasn't said. Training was ingrained in her, and some secrets had to be guarded until her last breath. "What's going on?"

"Abercrombie," Sin said but quickly elaborated, "Roy is missing. I sent him to look into a death of one of my friends, and he just up and vanished."

Sara recognized the name of Thea's boyfriend, and she seized up. She wouldn't put it past a hunter to go after someone close to Thea to try and draw the young woman out… but it was still a stretch to set it up. The hunters couldn't anticipate everything, and she didn't think they'd kill one of Sin's friends to simply set up an opportunity. More so, they would be lying low for a bit before making their moves. They were predictable, at least, in that way.

"How'd your friend die?" Sara asked, and when Sin recounted the bloody eyes and ears, the Canary actually wished it had been a hunter. Mirakuru was extremely unpredictable. She hid her shudder as a memory of Slade flashed past her mind.

….

All the way across town, Slade was taking a quiet moment to himself to enjoy how easily things fell into place. The death of Cyrus Gold was of little matter to him; he had given Blood the capabilities to make more mirakuru soldiers. All the while, Slade would bide his time until it was perfected, and then, he'd be able to swoop in and destroy the city. The thought of burning this city down brick by brick made him smile and Shado wrap her arms around his neck. He could practically smell her as her hair tickled his noise, and he wished more than anything that he could reach up and touch the apparition.

"Soon," he whispered to the ghost. "Soon, I'll fulfill my promise to him."

"Good," Shado purred in his ear. "He deserves to suffer for what he did to me. Make him pay." He could almost feel her fingers run down his cheek.

With a smile, he stood as he made a decision. He had hidden like a coward long enough, and with the hunters on hiatus, this was the time to make his move. He didn't want the kid to have a break, not a single moment's rest. The former ASIS wanted every moment to be agony, and Slade had the perfect place to start.

"I think it's time I pay Mrs. Queen a visit," he grinned as he chanced a glance back towards Shado. On this particular night, she was still there, and her smile told him everything he needed to know. There were no doubts, no hesitation, and it wouldn't be long until he had Oliver Queen begging for a merciful death.

**Note:** Nah I hadn't forgotten about Roy… Laurel- she's going to continue to get mentioned but prolly not much screen time. Sorry to you Laurel fans. It's not that I "hate" her per say; its more the writers fumbled a bit with her in season 2. Her arc was my least favorite, and there is already a lot going on here.

Upcoming: a lot. This arc is about Slade's plan (AU of course), so I think I'm going to bring back China White. I know she's in Iron Heights (I can fix that), and I don't want to make another OC. I need an additional character for a few upcoming scenes, so I think she wins.

Anyway, hope you're enjoying it. I promise more relationship moments in later chapters. Just have to get past these "important plot points". There will be more Sara/Nyssa, a bit of Sara/Oliver (they are in need of a talk), and of course Oliver/Felicity.


	33. The Difference

**Chapter 33**

Felicity set a small med-kit next to Mr. Merlyn. The Dark Archer had taken a seat while Oliver had moved away to talk something over with Diggle. She had seen the blood, and she might not have liked him, but he was currently their ally. When he didn't seem to notice her still, she gave the kit a small push, and the clanging of whatever was inside pulled Malcolm's attention from the two other men and to her.

"I wasn't sure if," she stated unsure exactly of what to say; instead of finishing, she smiled and left the kit where he could get it.

"It's just a graze," Malcolm explained as he glanced to his arm. It burned, but it wasn't unbearable. He had worse in the past, and he was sure there was a lot more in his future. The bullet had barely nicked him, and while a stitch or two might help him avoid a scar, he wasn't in the mood or in the place to ditch his leathers to take care of it. These were Oliver's friends and allies, and enemy of my enemy would only go so far. There was no trust, and there was even less tolerance of his presence. He would wait until he was sure Oliver was not heading back out into the city to track this Roy, and then, he'd head back to his own place and deal with any wounds he had sustained.

"I'm not that great at sowing," she continued pulling him from his thoughts. "Actually I'm downright terrible. I almost failed my home ed class in middle school because I couldn't make a single stitch, and you should have seen my baking…" She trailed off and worked to stop babbling. "But I've stitched Oliver up enough… so if you need me too, I can."

Malcolm considered the IT girl for a moment, and he could tell his gaze affected her as she tried to pretend he wasn't staring. "It's unneeded Ms. Smoak. As I said, it's a graze." He reached over and pushed the med-kit back towards her.

"You're as bad as Oliver," she snapped. "It's still bleeding, so no, it's not just a scratch." She puffed up, snatched up the kit, and pulled out some sutures. "Take off your shirt." It was then she realized perhaps how she sounded, so she quickly added, "Please… so that I can close that. Not because I want you to strip or anything. Though I'm sure… I'm just going to be quiet now."

Stifling his chuckle, he conceded slowly to the girl. He decided to let her at least look since she seemed unwilling to move until she had. With how his league uniform sat on his frame, he had to ditch his outer leathers but was able to stay mostly dressed. She'd be able to observe the slice on his arm but not any of his other scars he had received from the League or other sources.

"It has to be the mirakuru," Oliver could be heard saying as the two men returned from their corner. The archer stopped in his tracks as he regarded Felicity looking quite pleased with herself as she stitched Malcolm's arm. He wasn't entirely shocked that his IT girl had convinced the older archer to do what she wanted; she was a bit persistent and frightening when one tried to brush her off.

"What makes you so sure?" Diggle asked; he had decided to simply ignore Mr. Merlyn for the time. He wasn't thrilled with the fact they had teamed up, but he could understand the reasons.

"Last time I saw him, I put an arrow through him to keep him from digging," Oliver explained. "Now he's missing."

Diggle hesitated before saying, "Or dead."

Oliver sighed and nodded. "Most likely dead. There's a reason that whoever is producing the mirakuru needs the tranquilizers. You can't survive the injection without them." Well mostly as Oliver did know of one person who had…

"You can't go back out there Oliver," Felicity said looking up from her task. She felt Malcolm flinch as she stuck the needle a bit deeper than she had meant to. "Oops, sorry." She met Oliver's gaze head on. "You're exhausted, and you can't keep doing this."

"She's right man," Digg echoed a moment later. "You need sleep and a chance to recuperate. We all do."

The emerald archer frowned, and he looked ready to argue when a yawn slipped past his lips. He looked a bit sheepish before he finally nodded his defeat. As much as he wanted to help his sister, he wasn't good to anyone dead. After the fight tonight, he had to give his body a chance to rejuvenate, especially since whoever had Roy probably was also jacked up on mirakuru. If he wanted to track the source, he'd need some rest and Sara's help most likely. Between the two of them, they had the most experience against those with it in their blood stream.

"Alright," Oliver said. "Tomorrow we need to figure out where Roy was last, and try to follow his steps from there."

Felicity tied off the last stitch and placed most of the medical supplies away. She kept an ice pack, and as she passed Oliver to put the kit away, she handed him the pack. She had seen how he was hunched over, and she recognized when he was trying to hide pain. While it wasn't much, the ice pack was something for the moment. As she stood on her toes to try and place the pack back, she felt Oliver come up behind her.

She knew it was him- his shadow, his scent… she had gotten used to being in close proximity with him, and it was the little details that sometimes her brain liked to store away. She watched as he leaned over her and helped her. She watched in mild annoyance as he put the ice pack away with it, and she spun with the intention of lecturing him. When she turned though, she realized it was just them in the Foundry.

"Diggle's outside, and Malcolm left as soon as you were done," Oliver explained. "He let you look at his arm."

"Yeah," she mumbled, and she felt her back press against the cabinet. It was then she noticed just how close they were.

"You're very persuasive," he joked with a smile, but it faded when he saw that she wouldn't meet his gaze. He found himself purposefully stepping back and putting distance between them. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, her voice a pitch higher than normal. She watched amusement flicker across his features, and she steeled her face and voice. "Nothing is wrong except I'm about to prove everyone in the office right… you know, that I slept my way to EA." She trailed off.

"Felicity," he said wanting nothing more than to reach out and touch her, but he found it in himself to refrain. "You're already my EA, so that's not possible… and we're not going to do anything you don't want."

"I don't know what I want," she admitted. "You're with Sara."

"I am…" He wasn't going to lie to her; she deserved better. "Felicity," he whispered. He hated how she was avoiding his gaze, and had been doing so practically all night.

"This… this was a mistake," she forced out. She refused to show weakness, and she did her best to sound confident. "I shouldn't have kissed you."

"I'm pretty sure I kissed you," he argued, not liking where this was going. "Felicity," he said again, but she refused to be dissuaded.

"You're with Sara," she said again. "You two are…"

"The same," he growled. "Would you listen to me?" This got her attention, and he calmed himself quickly. "Me and Sara are the same person, or we were if this was nine months ago. I want to help her… as you and Diggle helped me."

"I didn't," she started.

He finally reached out and cupped her face, and that worked well to silence her right then. "Yes you did. I'm a better man… because of you." This wasn't the old Oliver trying to swindle his way into some girl's pants; this was the utter truth, and she could see it in his face. He was telling her the truth and showing some vulnerability… something that was near impossible for Oliver Queen, the vigilante, to do especially with everything happening lately.

Felicity chewed her lip in uncertainty, but she found herself unconsciously reaching up and touching the hand that was on her face. She let him pull her in, and she told herself later as she laid to go asleep that the kiss had been just another accident. She couldn't wrap her mind around Oliver actually wanting her, and as sleep claimed her, the most recent kiss haunted her every dream.

…

Just because Oliver needed sleep didn't mean that Malcolm also had to. Instead, the older archer had traversed into the city and did his best to track his daughter. He was worried that she might do something stupid, so when he found her in the Glades, he had been unable to just leave her. He watched as she tore through some small, shoddy house, and he could see even from the shadows that she had been crying. Whoever this Roy was, he was important to Thea, but Malcolm was not entirely thrilled with the idea that the boy came from this _area_.

Malcolm had no intention of revealing himself to Thea… until he saw her sit on the porch, her face in hands and shoulders shaking. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a few men leering from the alley below and they had obviously seen easy prey in her. Silently before the men could even approach, Malcolm had dispatched them. Their bodies would be discovered and forgotten tomorrow.

However he must not have been as quiet as he thought when Thea looked up and her eyes scanned the street. Malcolm stood over the men in a side alley, out of clear sight, but he saw how her gaze seemingly zeroed in on their location. In some small way, he was proud of the instincts his daughter had unknowingly, and unable to help himself, he stepped from the shadows.

Thea had two reactions to seeing the Dark Archer; the first was to stand, and the second was to march over to him. Anger was written on her features, and it was a blessed change from the anguish she had been feeling the past few hours. Oliver had promised to help her find Roy, but her brother, half-brother, was still nowhere in sight. Now in front of her was the first and last person she wanted to see. When it came to her "father", she was torn on exactly how she was supposed to feel.

Her feet stalled however when she saw the three men, blood pouring out of them, beneath Malcolm's feet. For a moment, she considered fleeing, but in the back of her mind, she could hear a small voice scolding her- telling her that she needed to stop running. Instead of turning away, she found it in herself to march right up to Malcolm.

"You're a murderer," she hissed, and while they weren't the first words Malcolm wanted to hear, he was appreciative that she was at least talking to him.

"I wasn't going to let them touch you," he replied, and he saw as her eyes shifted to the dead men for a brief second.

"Oliver found you?" she asked.

Malcolm perfectly hid the shock behind his cowl. "Yes," he said, and he watched as some of the tension in her body melted away. The Dark Archer quietly seethed; Oliver hadn't mentioned that Thea had wanted to see him. He could easily turn this conversation into his favor, but he had to give Thea a chance first. The last thing he wanted or needed to do was to place his daughter into a corner. "I can go if you'd like," he suggested, giving her a way out. He could see that she was emotionally pulled thin, and he had to play this carefully. He purposefully turned and waited to see if she'd call him back.

"Wait," she said, and Malcolm smiled.

**Note:** I'm not in love with this chapter, but I'm posting in anyway as I don't think it will get much better. I have A LOT going on right now in reality, and it's exhausting. Updates will be a bit more sporadic until about Weds (as in one update every two days).

Next chapter Slade, Moira, Iron Heights… Roy, Malcolm, Oliver, Sara…  
Also within the next three chapters, there will be some Sara/Nyssa (not just mentioned) along with Oliver/Sara since I keep putting that off by accident. Nonetheless *salute* enjoy


	34. Fixable

**Chapter 34**

Oliver felt the heat of his sister's glare long before he actually saw her at breakfast. He could tell he was in deep water, and he couldn't exactly explain what else he had been doing last night. He tried to smile and reassure her, but Thea met his gaze once then never did again. Any attempt at conversation fell flat with her, so breakfast was a quiet affair. Their mother was out at some meeting already over potential backers for her ploy to be mayor.

Unbeknownst to Oliver, most of Thea's rage actually wasn't directed at him, and she couldn't bear to look at him knowing what she did. She couldn't very well accuse her brother of hiding things, not just on the word of her madman father, and she felt like a hypocrite for not telling him the truth.

Thea tried to tell herself that the only reason she had called out to Malcolm was because she had to give him a piece of her mind. While she hadn't been able to see his face clearly, the shock was not as well hidden as he probably would have liked as she practically called him a monster again, and if she ever saw him again, she'd call the cops. It hadn't been the father/daughter reunion that he had probably been hoping for, but Thea didn't care. She hated her mother for lying, but when she looked at Malcolm, she didn't see the whole 'grass is greener on the other side'; instead, she saw him as a coward and a murderer. She wouldn't tell the police about him, only because he saved her life… and that was it…

At least that's what Thea kept telling herself; she felt in turmoil over the previous night. She had to remind herself of how she wanted nothing to do with Mr. Merlyn, but she couldn't help but feel a longing for more family. Her mother was a liar, and her brother was distant. She craved the emotional support a family usually gave, and with Roy missing, she had nothing. If Roy continued to stay away, she wasn't sure how much of a fight she'd put up if Malcolm returned for a civil conversation.

"Thea," Oliver said gently, and when she was brought out of her thoughts to the sight of a concerned older brother, Thea couldn't take it. She glowered at him and stomped away. It wasn't his fault entirely that she felt like this, but he wasn't helping currently either. For now, she wanted to put as much distance between them as he usually seemed to like.

Oliver stayed put and watched his sister head off. He didn't need to be told that she was probably heading to the club; it was going to be re-opened tonight. The distraction would be good for her, and while he wanted to mend whatever was wrong, he had to focus if he wanted to find Roy. He didn't doubt the kid had gotten himself in deep somewhere, and it wouldn't be easy, even for three vigilantes, to dig him out.

But to start, Oliver needed something to go off of. He had no idea where Roy was or what he was doing when he disappeared, but he knew of someone he could ask. There was that girl that Roy had hung out with in the Glades… Sin… the one Sara was overly protective of; she wouldn't appreciate him, hooded up, near Sin most likely, but time was limited.

Diggle and Oliver headed to the car, but the Queen scion had no intention of going into the office today. He was sure Isabel would be furious, but he was relatively sure that anger was a perpetual state of being for that woman. She would deal as she always had in the past; for now, he wanted to head to the clock tower. There was a lot he needed to discuss with Sara, and it didn't just include Sin.

Last night came flooding back to him. After Diggle had interrupting the first post-kiss conversation, Oliver had made sure it wouldn't happen again. However when he spoke with Felicity about what she meant to him, he hadn't thought he'd kiss her again. True, it had been quick and wouldn't qualify as anything more than a peck… but it had been so long since he had trusted anyone with who he was and how he became that person.

Even Sara had known not to pry. They had their secrets, and while their nightmares spoke volumes of how they turned into these people, they preferred to pretend that nothing bothered them. Felicity was the first person in a long time that he had found himself trusting; after all, he hadn't shown up in Diggle's car bleeding and practically dying. He had to be willing to be quite vulnerable with her for that, and he had found over the months that he had come to not only respect but trust her.

There were moments that caused him some hesitation, but those were on his side. He worried how she might react to the nightmares or the scaring up close. It was hard to remember at times that she had only known him via tabloids before the island, so who she saw now was less marred by the past then others like Sara.

"You sure she's here?" Digg asked as he dropped Oliver off.

"I called Laurel, who promptly hung up on me after informing me that they hadn't seen her all night," Oliver admitted. "She's here." He waved his friend off to go get them food while he dealt with Sara. He wasn't sure what was on her mind, but it was something for her to continue to avoid her family even after he sent her away.

Climbing the stairs, Oliver wasn't sure what to expect, but he was ready for a calm conversation, a fight, both. He never walked in to an unknown situation without prepping himself for the possible outcomes.

…..

Moira Queen sat alone at her table, sipping coffee slowly. The one thing she had missed in prison had been tea, but today with all the bustling, she had chosen darker cup on purpose. She'd need all her energy to fend off the hungry dogs and the tabloids; as it was, she was sitting just for breakfast and outside was three photographers. She wanted to scold them on the nerve; they had put her family through quite a bit… but she didn't think it would do her name well if she pulled the same stunt her son had prior to the island.

The thought of Oliver drove her to think of her kids. Thea was still angry with her, and no matter how Moira tried, she couldn't get through to her stubborn daughter. The younger girl refused to see that Moira had been protecting her, and perhaps, she could understand it a bit. She had tired of Robert's lies eventually as well, and over the past five years, Moira had done her fair share with Thea in relation to the Undertaking.

Moira glanced over to see her bodyguard still standing at attention. Ever since that League hunter had come to town, her security had been tripled. She originally had doubled it herself, but then her son's bodyguard had put an even more thorough detail on her. It was as if her son had realized the danger, and if he hadn't before, he did now. Moira wasn't sure what Oliver thought of the fact Mr. Merlyn was back in town, and while she, herself, wasn't thrilled, she was grateful that he had stepped in to save Thea.

"Do you mind if I join you Ms. Queen?" His Australian accent was faint but still there, and when Moira looked up at the man with an eye patch, she wasn't entirely sure what to think. She had always prided herself on being able to read men, on their intentions- it was how she put up with Robert's affairs-, but this man was a blank slate. With a smile, she invited him to join us.

"I'm sorry I don't believe I know you," she said reaching for a name.

"Mr. Wilson," Slade replied with ease as he leaned back in his chair. He had been curious about the woman that had raised his betrayer, and he had yet to form an opinion. The plan he had in mind for her and Oliver needed solid ground. "I own corporations in the east," he explained, "and I'm very interested in your bid for mayor."

"Oh?" she said as the name Wilson did ring familiar.

"Yes this city needs change," he grinned. "And I believe you can be the start to that. Your son spoke highly of you."

"You know Oliver?"

Slade had to hide his smirk. "Yes. We're old friends." He was going to enjoy this.

…

"Sara?" Oliver called out once he had his feet planted at the top of the clock tower's stairs. He didn't see her, but he could tell she had slept here. Her makeshift bed was tossed about, and he wondered how bad her nightmares had been last night. With Nyssa and Malcolm… they both were suffering.

He heard her drop down behind him, and he realized that she had done it for his benefit. She could have done it soundlessly, but that risked a harsh instinctual reaction from them both. He turned and regarded the ex-League member. For someone so free, she never looked more caged then she did now.

"Are you all right?" he asked reaching out but stopping himself. Physical contact in moods like this were not usually the best of ideas.

"I'm fine," she growled. "Just…" she gestured to the bed, and he nodded in understanding. "What are you doing here Oliver?"

"Roy's missing," he offered, and he watched her reaction carefully to see no surprise. She had known about this prior.

"Sin explained to me," she said with a sigh. "He was looking into mirakuru?"

"Yeah," Oliver confirmed.

"Then he's dead," Sara shrugged and turned away. She was searching the piles for something more suitable to wear then just her training bra and shorts. At some point today, she had to go see her father; he wouldn't care that he was still too injured for such things. He'd do it anyway.

"We don't know that," Oliver stated, but even he didn't have much hope. "Did Sin know where he went last?"

Sara frowned but nodded. She rattled off some address for Oliver and finished dressing. The two of them stood there, uncertainty in both their stances. They hadn't had much time to themselves since Nyssa, and they really hadn't talked about what everything had meant… now with Felicity…

"Sara wait," Oliver called before she could head down the stairs. "We should…"

"You want to talk? _You_? You're the master of avoiding talks," she chided, but it was in jest. Wordlessly they made their way outside and leaned against the railing, just as they had done right before the League hunter had arrived. "It's about time, by the way."

"Hm?"

"Felicity. It's about time. I was wondering how long it'd take her to jump you," Sara said bluntly, and whatever Oliver would have said ran away. "Come on Oliver, you and I both knew where this," she said referring to them, "was going."

"Yeah," he admitted quietly. He closed his eyes and tried to focus.

"I loved… well love… Nyssa," Sara admitted, and it was probably the only time he'd ever hear that uttered. "I'm not the same girl from the island, and you're not… well not the Oliver I knew."

"I don't recognize myself sometimes," he agreed. The mirror image still wasn't what he expected every morning.

"I have this darkness inside me," she continued. "It's not going away."

"It will," he said, but he could tell his words had fallen on deaf ears.

"Not if I don't want it to," she admitted quietly. There had been something with the League, a sense of belonging. As Oliver had found a home on the Island, a refuge, she had the League, or she had when she had chosen blood. She didn't regret the choice, but she wished for a different outcome. The bottom line was that she missed Nyssa. "It was fun," she chuckled.

"Usually I'm the one delivering that line," he said, a hint of humor in his tone. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and this time she didn't fight the physical contact. Instead, she melted into it and grasped the back of his head. Whatever was left to say disappeared in the moment as Oliver and Sara shared a quiet moment between themselves. It didn't happen often, and the understanding they shared would be missed…

He kissed her gently, and she deepened it without hesitation. Physical comfort was all they could offer the other, and that's what they had always known. They both were too broken to fix the other, but Felicity… or Nyssa… there was a light there for them, and while they wanted to just hold onto the other, there was a deeper seated need to be with someone who didn't just understand them as they were but who they could be. For Oliver, it was to be better, and for Sara, it was freedom.

**Note:** So I'm much happier with this chapter, so I hope you guys are too. For those that are like the Sara/Oliver felt abruptly ended, I think I tied it up well enough. Sara has always had a good grasp of who she was, with and without the League. Nyssa showing up forced her to re-confront what she really wanted, and for Oliver, it was trying, like he had for all season, to be this good man.

There is still a lot to go here. Next chapter, we get some action, and we are rushing towards the reveal of Slade… and after that the return of the hunters.

Hope you guys are enjoying the journey. Also, yes I'm still incredibly busy and will be until Weds, so probably only 1 update in the next two days. Sorry guys; I'm trying but life sucks.


	35. Phase I

**Chapter 35**

"With what Sara told us, I was able to pull up some footage from the night Roy disappeared," Felicity explained as Oliver and Sara descended into the Foundry. Night was fast approaching, and both vigilantes were itching to suit up and try and find who was producing the mirakuru. Neither held much hope that Roy was still alive, but they had agreed to hold off on saying anything until they were sure. Oliver wasn't sure if Thea could take another blow like that, and he didn't want to crush her spirit unnecessarily.

Felicity shot a glare over her shoulder at the duo, and Oliver could practically feel the ice in the room. He wasn't entirely sure what he had done recently to warrant such treatment, but that didn't mean much. If there was anything he excelled at besides archery, it was putting his foot in his mouth without realizing it. Sara shot him an amused look before she joined Felicity at the computer.

"I found where he was pulled from the building and was able to get a license plate of the van that took him," Felicity continued.

"Do we know where he's at then?" Diggle asked also standing near Felicity. Oliver chose to hang back and wait. He was already eyeing up his hood and bow.

"No," Felicity growled. "I lose the van after a few traffic cameras."

"So he could be anywhere?" Sara summarized.

"Yep," Felicity said emphasizing the 'p' sound. "I've been trying to pull up his cell phone, but someone must have turned it off."

"We could start at the same building," Oliver suggested.

"There might be nothing there now," Digg said,

"But it's a place to start," Sara agreed taking Oliver's side. He shot her a thankful look, and she smiled. They were teammates, still fighting the same war; that hadn't changed. She turned and found her Canary outfit laid out similar to Oliver's, and she worked her way into it. "I could also call my father and see if…" She trailed off.

"See what?" Felicity asked.

"See if there's a body matching Roy's description," Oliver explained gently as he zipped up his hood.

"Oh," she mumbled before she turned her attention back on her computer. She wanted to check security rounds before Oliver and Sara reached the building. She might have been frustrated with Oliver, but she didn't want them to get shot at.

Once Sara and Diggle had moved out of earshot, Oliver approached Felicity. He placed his hand on the back on her chair, and he watched as she glanced up towards him. The look only lasted a second, and she didn't turn again. He let silence hang in the air for a moment, but finally, he had to ask, "Is something wrong?"

"No," she growled. "What could be wrong?"

"Is this about us?" he asked slowly. They still hadn't exactly talked about what 'they' were or if 'they' were going anyway. Thus far, the only physical intimacy they had shared had been short, simple kisses, and Oliver couldn't exactly read if Felicity had liked that or not. Usually, she couldn't keep her thoughts from spilling out, but lately… she had been withdrawn, and today, she was barely paying him any attention.

Felicity doesn't immediately answer, and Oliver can see when he isn't going to win. Instead, he steps away and pulls up his hood. When he returned later, he'd try and talk with Felicity again. He wanted to make something work with the IT girl, and while he was worried about hurting her, Sara had said it best… they both deserved some sort of light in the life they lived. If she had changed her mind though, Oliver would respect that and keep his distance. He could live with that… hopefully.

"Let's get going," Oliver said gruffly.

"What about Malcolm?" Digg asked. The other archer hadn't arrived, and the bodyguard wasn't even sure if he was planning on an appearance tonight.

Oliver bristled as he realized he hadn't factored in the Dark Archer. It was hard to still wrap the idea of allies around his mind, and he hadn't entirely gotten use to the concept. However, he knew he was not comfortable with the idea of leaving Felicity and Diggle alone in the Foundry if the Dark Archer did decide to show up.

"Foundry stays locked while we are gone," Oliver said.

"You don't trust him," Digg said; it wasn't a question.

"He needs us against the hunters," he replied, "but that could make him desperate too." He watched as Digg nodded in agreement; the ex-soldier had already considered this too. "I don't want him alone with you and Felicity again."

Digg gave Oliver a knowingly smile as his eyes drifted to Felicity, and the archer frowned and didn't say another word. Instead, he followed Sara to street level. Unlike all the previous nights, it was loud. The front of the club was at an all-time high for patronage; he had thought that multiple murders would put his club in the red. Except it looked like it was going to have the opposite effect; the rich loved the potential danger. They never seemed to grasp that it could have been them had they been here that night.

"Felicity looked happy," Sara stated as they got on their respective bikes. She grinned as she said this. She was happy for Oliver, and she couldn't help but poke a bit of fun at the archer.

"Not the time Sara," he growled from underneath his helmet.

…..

Meanwhile across town, Slade Wilson stared down at the unconscious body of Roy Harper. The boy had woken a few times and discovered quickly about his newfound strength, but Slade had experience in these manners. The ex-ASIS quickly subdued the boy and had him on a strong enough tranquilizer to keep him out for hours.

"Sir, someone accessed the camera footage from the night he was taken," a man stuttered.

"Good," Slade grinned. He finally could start the next part of his plan. "Turn his phone back on."

"But if you do that, whoever they are will be able to track him!" Sebastian said, partly in hysterics. The alderman was not comfortable with the idea that the vigilante could show up on his doorstep. They were both trying to save this city, but he didn't think the archer would see it that way. Perhaps if he had time to explain… the thought evaporated when he heard Slade chuckling.

"That's the point," he explained. "No one is to kill the vigilante." That was his pleasure and no one else's.

"He will ruin all my work if you lead him here," Blood continued, but when the Australian spun single eye burning with anger, Blood correctly chose to shut up. He wasn't afraid of the larger man, or at least, that's what he told himself.

"I need them distracted," Slade said as he calmed. He decided to divulge a bit of his plan if only to get the alderman to quiet down long enough for Oliver to arrive. Slade did not need Blood for his plans to come full circle; the man was just a pawn, and once his purpose was served, Slade would kill him.

"Where are you going?" Sebastian asked when Slade moved away.

"I have things to attend to," the older man said, his steely gaze returned. "Keep the vigilante busy… I have someone I need to visit at Iron Heights."

….

Oliver and Sara arrived at roughly the same time, and they wasted little time in heading up to the offices. They weren't sure about any of what this meant yet, but they had every intention of scouring every office until they found what they were looking for.

What Oliver found instead was far from ideal. On the top floor at some physician's office, he saw Thea ripping apart files. He tried to remain calm at the sight of his sister doing something incredibly stupid, and he quietly called Sara to his position. He needed to find a way to get her out of here immediately.

_"Oliver_," Felicity said urgently_, "there are guys outside. They have guns… well actually a lot of guns…"_ She paused. _"Digg says military issue, and that they are moving as a unit. Five guys on the stairs, another three near the elevator. I'll try to pull up the buildings floor plan._" She only had eyes on the first floor, and she hadn't been able to break past the decryption for the rest of the security cameras yet.

"Thea's here," he said into his comm, breathlessly. It was one thing when men came after him, but he did not want his sister caught in any sort of cross fire. She had had enough of that lately.

_"Wait what? Thea's there at the office building? Oh that's… not good,"_ Felicity could be heard saying just as Sara arrived. Thea hadn't noticed the two vigilantes yet, and the two couldn't wait much longer to announce themselves. The men had strategic points across the building; it was going to be hard enough for them to get out, let alone adding a third to the mix. _"Alright, there's another stairwell, but it's doesn't go all the way down… by down, I mean first floor, and…"_

"Felicity," he growled.

_ "Right, it will get you to the third floor, and then you'll have to go to the other stairwell._"

Turning on his voice modulator, Oliver decided they didn't have time to do this slowly. "Ms. Queen, you shouldn't be here."

Thea practically jumped out of her skin, and she couldn't believe the sight. The Hood was standing a few feet away; the man she had helped Roy look for months was now just within arms grasp. She didn't recognize the blonde woman, but she had heard it whispered throughout the Glades about a new vigilante.

"You don't understand," Thea pleaded. "My boyfriend… he's missing."

"We know," Sara said, her own voice masked.

"What do you mean you know?" Thea asked glancing between the two; Oliver unconsciously lowered his head.

"A lot of people have been going missing, Ms. Queen," Oliver explained. "Your boyfriend is not the first, and we are here in hopes of uncovering the cause."

Thea looked at the file she had in hand, and she wanted to tell them how she had yet to find anything. There wasn't a single mention of Roy or any of these other people the vigilante had mentioned. She opened her mouth to state just this when gunfire erupted. The next thing Thea knew was that she was on her back, the vigilante on top of her blocking her. His head was turned sideways, so that she couldn't see his identity. She could hear though the grunts and cries from men, and she wanted nothing more than to sit up and see what exactly was going on.

Oliver seeing that the men were too busy with Sara to continue firing stood and dragged Thea up with him. He placed her safely behind a wall. "Stay here," he ordered as he joined the fray with Sara. It was the group of three men Felicity had already mentioned, and the ex-League member had already done a good job taking one done. The other two were easily overpowered with Sara's bo-staff and Oliver's bow. The last two men hit the floor in a heap, unconscious but alive.

"We need to go," Oliver stated, less to Sara and more to Felicity.

_"End of the hallway, on the left,_" she explained.

"Come," Oliver said to Thea as he held out his gloved hand. He wasn't going to leave his sister with the bodies, and while he didn't want her in harm's way, she was safer with him then up here.

"I can't," she started, her eyes trailing back to the files.

"Ms. Queen, we need to go," he said again. "I will find Roy, but we need to leave now."

"More men are coming," Sara added.

This got to Thea, and she nodded reluctantly. The file dropped from her hand, and she grabbed onto the vigilante. The three of them practically ran down the stairs. Thea watched in amazement as the vigilantes didn't even really take the stairs; they would vault over the railings and land down after multiple steps. She wished she was that strong, but she wasn't about to risk a sprained ankle.

At the third floor, Oliver and Sara hesitated. There was at least five men left, and they were armed. Oliver was tempted to order Sara to stay with his sister while he dealt with the men, but against five and currently with no intel on where they were, he wasn't sure if that was that safe.

"Ideas?" Sara asked.

"No cameras on this floor," Oliver sighed. "We will have to do this blind." He turned to his sister, and considering the situation, she looked relatively held together. He gave her that. "I need you to stay here."

"Why?" Thea asked. She wasn't whining; she was generally curious and worried.

"Five men, all armed," he explained as he notched an arrow. "Stay here and in cover."

The younger Queen huffed but relented. She didn't like the idea of not doing anything, but she could see that she would be a hindrance to the two masked heroes. Sitting on a step, she watched as they burst through the door just as gunfire erupted. Her eyes were wide in shock even after the door closed. She couldn't believe that they had just thrown themselves into that.

Oliver ducked under another hail of bullets that was sprayed randomly. He was confused; the men had ample time to shoot them through the door and nothing. Now, the bullets were all over the place; if Oliver didn't know better, he'd think they were missing on purpose.

_"Do you even know why I'm mad at you?"_ Felicity asked over the comm.

"Is this really the time?" Oliver questioned as he switched covers to get closer to the shooters. Across the room, Sara did the same. Once they were close enough, they could force the men to drop their guns.

_"You might have decided to play hooky today, but I didn't. I had to sit with that insufferable woman and listen to her talk about what a terrible person you are."_ He could hear her disappointment, and he felt a bit bad that he had ditched her at Queen Consolidated today. _"Worse yet, she made me make her coffee!"_

With a chuckle, Oliver said, "I'm sorry you had to make her coffee."

_"Exactly,_" Felicity hmmed. _"I'm not your EA. I'm your pretend EA, so I should only have to pretend to make coffee._"

Oliver went to switch again, but a bullet grazed his leg. He hissed at the sudden pain, and he could hear Felicity suddenly calling his name and asking if he was alright. He caught Sara's worried gaze across the room, but he gave her a thumbs up.

"I'm fine," he said to Felicity.

_"Good because I'm not done berating you,"_ she said.

"Can this wait until I get back?" he asked, a bit of a chuckle in his voice.

He heard a moment of silence on his comm before Felicity gave him a resounding, "_No._ _You made me wait all day for this. I want…"_ She trailed off, and whatever she said next, he didn't hear as his attention was drawn back to the stairway. One man had somehow slipped past both Sara and himself and was at the door.

Ignoring the pain in his leg, he spun and intended to turn an arrow on that man. Oliver didn't care if it was a kill shot; they weren't going to hurt his sister. Before he had the chance to though, another arrow landed squarely in the man's neck. Oliver watched as Malcolm dropped down, anger evident in the older archer's stance.

"Found Malcolm," Oliver growled into his comm. He wanted to cross the room and pull Merlyn away from his sister, but first, he had to deal with the remaining gunmen.

_"At least he was easy to find,"_ Felicity said, but she could tell she had chosen the wrong words when Oliver didn't immediately respond. _"He could have been like Waldo… and near impossible. I use to have to spend hours looking for Waldo… I mean at least Malcolm showed up and we didn't have to you know… go find him… I'm going to be quiet now."_

"Thank you," he said tersely as he finally got his hands on the gunmen. Not only did it seem that they were terrible shots, but they were terrible fighters. Sara and Oliver easily wiped the floor with them and tied them up afterwards.

"How did you find us?" Oliver asked when he reached Malcolm's side. The older archer was pulling his arrow out from the man's neck.

"Tracked your comm signal," he shrugged. "It was not that difficult."

"Thank you," Oliver finally conceded, and Malcolm didn't get the chance to give the other archer a confused look when Thea pushed open the stairway door.

"What are you doing here?" Malcolm growled, snatching Thea's arm. "It's not safe here."

"Let go of me," she snapped slapping Malcolm across his masked face; his grip didn't lessen. "I told you to leave me alone."

"Let her go Merlyn," Oliver said, his tone indicating exactly what would happen if the other man didn't. With a frown, Malcolm released her but stayed close.

"What is she doing here?" he asked accusing Oliver. "It isn't safe here."

"We didn't bring her with us Malcolm," Sara said. "She was already here."

"I'm trying to find my boyfriend," she said loudly, not appreciating being talked about as if she wasn't there. She tried to remain relatively calm, but it was difficult when one was next to a mass murderer and two vigilantes. She wasn't sure what to think though of seeing the vigilante on what looked to be amicable terms with Malcolm; she had thought they were enemies.

"And now you're going home," Oliver stated. He wasn't going to have her running around and getting shot at.

"Not until I find Roy," she stated stubbornly.

"Ms. Queen, I understand that you want to find your boyfriend," he said trying a different tactic, "and I want to help. But I cannot try to find him and keep you safe." It's not like he had anywhere to go now though; they had found nothing here but a firing squad. Perhaps one of them knew something…

"You'll be safer at home," Sara said in agreement.

"But," Thea started.

"You're going home," Malcolm growled.

"And you're not my father!" Thea snapped, and Oliver watched as Malcolm hunched in on himself just slightly. The words had stabbed the elder Merlyn deeply. "Shouldn't you be trying to kill him?" she asked Oliver, referring to Malcolm.

"We reached a business arrangement," Malcolm explained, the ice in his tone screamed out exactly how he was feeling.

"Business arrangement? He's a murderer!"

Oliver didn't know what to say. He wasn't use to having this long of a conversation with those he rescued, and he realized he had to end this soon or risk Thea discovering his identity. Sara thankfully stepped in, "Enemy of our enemy Ms. Queen."

"I don't understand," she continued. "You're no better than him if you're…" she had begun when she passed out. Malcolm spun to see Oliver placing some of his tranquilizer darts away, and the elder Queen didn't look thrilled with what he had to do. Thea would be out for about a half hour, and when she awoke, she'd have a blistering headache.

"She likes you," Sara said to Malcolm.

"We need to get her home," Oliver sighed. "Without my mother noticing."

"She has tripled security," Malcolm pointed out.

"Didn't stop you from getting in," Oliver growled.

"Do you actually trust him to take your sister home?" Sara asked.

"And his daughter," he pointed out. "He won't hurt her, and he wants her far from this as possible."

"We could call it a night," she sighed. "We found nothing, and I don't think you're going to let me beat information out of these guys."

Oliver sighed and was ready to concede defeat when Felicity said_, "I got a ping off Roy's cell phone. I know where he's at."_

**Note:** Next chapter also has a lot going on. And for those that noticed Oliver's slip, I did do that on purpose. Also this is an "arc" so to speak; it doesn't follow any specific episode, but the next two chapters tie tightly together and I plan to take elements from episodes. At the end of this arc, we will have a chapter or two dedicated to the Markov episode (Nyssa should make an appearance here for those waiting for her), and after that, we will probably have the return of the hunters (i.e. Talia)


	36. Phase II

**Chapter 36**

Oliver sighed and stared down at his unconscious sister. He wasn't an idiot, and he nodded along to whatever Sara was saying about a possible trap. It was too coincidental to be anything else; someone knew they were looking for Roy and had set the bait. There was a brief consideration where Oliver thought it could be the hunters, but this didn't feel like them. He didn't know how he knew, but it seemed too convoluted for them. If they wanted bait, he felt they'd just go after his sister again not her boyfriend.

"I know it's a trap," he said. "But we don't have much choice."

"Is the boy that important?" Malcolm asked with a sneer. He didn't like the idea that his daughter was dating some rat from the Glades; she was a Merlyn and a Queen. In his opinion, she could do much better. "Let him die if he isn't dead already. Walking into a known trap with an unknown assailant is foolhardy."

Oliver glared at Mr. Merlyn, but Sara quickly stepped in. "As much as I hate to say this," she said with a pinched frown, "but he's right. At least on the latter part. It would be suicidal for us to walk into the trap. We have no idea who's set the bait. It could be the hunters or…" She trailed off because she really had no idea who this could be.

"Does it matter?" Oliver asked. "It's a trap either way, and we need to find out who is producing the mirakuru. I am not going to let my streets be flooded with anymore of those maniacs."

The Canary conceded defeat on that point; they hadn't had much clue who was using the mirakuru, and this could be their best shot at figuring it out. With a sigh, she glanced down at the still sleeping Thea and tried to formulate a plan that didn't require them all dying.

"She needs to go home first," the emerald archer stated, referring to his sister. "Then we'll go… Felicity, what was that address again?" In his ear, he listened to her rattle it off.

_"Oliver,"_ she practically whispered. _"Be careful_."

He smiled but didn't respond; he'd try his best. However, Sara was right; they had no idea what they were walking into. There were a number of enemies they all had, but with each of them, Oliver couldn't see how they would have gotten their hands on mirakuru. That had died on the island, and it worried him to think somehow it had gotten off.

"You're going to take her home, I take it?" he said as he turned towards the Dark Archer. "I doubt you want involved in this."

"Good observation," Malcolm answered. He didn't want to tangle with mirakuru, and he didn't care to really get in-between whoever was gunning for Oliver. However… "But no. I will help where I can."

"Why?" Sara asked. "I doubt this is the hunters doing. They would have to know you won't care about Thea's boyfriend. It means it's probably someone after myself or Oliver."

"And I need you both against the hunters," Malcolm responded. "Preferably in one piece." It didn't ring completely true, but neither Sara nor Oliver commented on it.

"Sara, can you take Thea home then?" he asked. "I'll go with Malcolm to this address."

"Why me?" she asked, slightly offended to suddenly being a courier.

"Because you're right. I don't trust him," Oliver explained. "And I don't trust that if I left you two alone that you would both be alive by the time I returned."

Sara nodded, "Most likely." She still wanted to beat Malcolm's face in for touching Nyssa and bringing the hunters here. She scooped Thea up and headed out to her bike. There was little time to waste, and she didn't want to leave Oliver with the Dark Archer for long. As long as Malcolm needed Oliver, she didn't think anything would happen to the emerald archer, but it wasn't Malcolm worried her. It was whoever had planned this; her instincts were screaming at her, and she had learned long ago to trust them.

Once Sara had left with Thea, Malcolm turned to Oliver. "You have no idea who's doing this?"

"I have one," Oliver whispered, "But he's dead and gone." With a wave, he led Malcolm outside and to his bike. They each took their own transportation to the address in question, and without needing to say a word, they both stopped two blocks away. It was just another office building on the outskirts of town. There wasn't anything special about the location or the building itself.

"I don't' see anyone on the outside patrolling," Malcolm stated when they had regrouped. "But I would think that there are on the inside."

"Just not in sight," Oliver said in agreement. "If this is a trap, they're going to want us in it as far as possible before they spring it."

"Did you want to wait for Ms. Lance?" he asked.

Oliver shook his head. "Better if only two of us spring the trap."

"That way she can save us if we need it," he said; it wasn't a question. This made the most sense. "The loading docks might be the better way to enter."

"Agreed," Oliver stated. "I was never one for front doors."

The two archers stayed close to the shadows; using the dead of night as their cover, they made their way around the ten story building. They were able to quickly locate the loading docks, and with the help of one of Oliver's exploding arrows, they broke down the back door. Both archers had arrows notched, and they waited to see if anyone would come bursting from the hole Oliver just created. When nothing happened, Malcolm entered first and check the left side of the hallway while Oliver checked the right.

Felicity worked hard to pull up schematics of the building, but she had quickly discovered it was like the building didn't exist. The floor plan wasn't anywhere to be found; the archers were going to have to do this blind. Unwittingly, the two actually worked together with ease; their training allowed them to communicate without the use of words, and when one moved, the other would as well to compensate their new blind spot.

It wasn't long before they found themselves in the lobby of the office building, and still, there wasn't any resistance. Nonetheless, they didn't drop their stance or bows. This was beginning to stink more and more like a trap than ever before. It made no sense for Roy's phone to ping here, then there be nothing.

"Felicity," Oliver risked whispering. "Any chance you can find security cameras for this building?"

_"Not without power_," she explained.

Malcolm gestured to the front desk where a dusty computer sat, and it didn't take long for Oliver to notice the power button was lit up. The building looked forgotten, but it obviously wasn't. "Check the city power grids. See how much power this place is draining, then try for the cameras. There's electricity running."

Still alone, Malcolm shot Oliver a look then moved towards the front desk. The entire way, the emerald archer kept his bow up and ready to cover the Dark Archer if need be. Once at the computer, Malcolm slowly placed his bow down and booted up the computer. He wasn't as skilled as Felicity when it came to IT things, but he knew his way around business folders. It didn't take him long to locate a company's name and what they did here.

"This was one of my subsidiaries," Malcolm explained. "They went bankrupt soon after the Glades collapsed."

"Oh?" That was all Oliver had to remark on.

"You don't believe I set up this trap?" the Dark Archer asked, a bit of teasing in his tone. Unable to help himself, Oliver grinned.

"Crappy trap if you're telling me about it," he replied. "What did they do here?"

"Research, medical grade," Malcolm explained with a frown. "This place hasn't been put up for auction yet. There is a reasonable chance that a lot of the medical equipment could be left over."

"Explains why someone with mirakuru might use this place," he nodded.

_"I was able to access the cameras after some work," _Felicity explained. _"But Oliver… I think someone let me in. I was hitting a wall over and over with my head…Well not literally with my head, but anyway, I wasn't getting through. Then suddenly."_

"You did," he frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. "What do you see?"

_"The building looks empty. I don't… Oh!"_ Felicity said.

"Felicity? Felicity, what is it?" he growled, impatience leaking into his tone.

_"Get your panties out of a bunch… Not that I think you wear panties."_

"Felicity!"

_"Right, there's a camera near the stairs showing a basement, but I can't access any of the cameras down there."_

"Sounds good," Oliver said. Malcolm picked up his bow and followed the emerald archer to the stairs, using Felicity and the cameras as a guide through the building.

It was still eerily quiet, and it had both archers on edge. Muscles were coiled, bow strings just as tight, and they were ready at this point for whatever could be thrown at them. They weren't entirely sure what to expect when they reached the basement, but what Oliver saw caused him to drop his bow just a fraction. Seconds later, Oliver felt something slam into him from behind; it felt like a freight train.

The emerald archer smashed into the medical equipment and chair. Everything scattered, and Ollie quickly got back to his feet in time to dodge the next attack. He froze at the sight of enraged Roy though, and the kid took that time to come at Oliver again. Malcolm, however, didn't hesitate putting an arrow into Roy's back.

"Wait! Don't!" Oliver called out. "Roy you need to calm down. This is… the mirakuru." He was impressed that the young man had survived the process, but obviously, psychosis had already set in. The pure anger and complete look of lost on Roy's face said it all.

"You won't take Thea from me!" he snarled. "She's mine! Get away from her!"

"I didn't do anything to Thea," Oliver tried to reason, but somehow in Roy's haze, the mirakuru-infused boy pointed to a television sitting in the corner. On the screen was the camera footage from the other building with Thea unconscious at Oliver's feet, and the emerald archer hissed at the footage. This wasn't good; once someone on mirakuru was set off, it was hard to get them to calm down to listen to any sort of reason.

"Brother Roy sees the truth," a new voice said, and out from the other side of the room, a man in a skull mask emerged. "He sees the destruction and damage done to this city." For the moment, Roy backed off enough to stop his assault against Oliver, which the archer was grateful for. He could easily beat the boy, even with mirakuru, in hand to hand due to experience and control, but he didn't want to put Thea's boyfriend in a grave or hospital if he could avoid it. "Why do you stop me? We both want the same thing for this city, to save it."

"The last man to say that to me dropped a city on innocent people," Oliver hissed, and he glanced over to see Malcolm had vanished. However, he caught glimpse of something in the shadows, and he could tell that the older archer was trying to quietly close the distance between himself and the masked man.

"I want to save the city!" the man in the mask snapped. "Together, we could do great things. We could stop the destruction of our beloved home."

Oliver shook his head. He didn't understand why every time the criminals would try to sway him; he was firm in his stance. This lunatic wasn't going to budge him anymore than the previous ones had. "The only thing I'm going to stop is you."

The unknown Blood scowled, but before he could trigger Roy again, he was slammed into. His mask stayed on, but he ended up sprawled on the floor, the Dark Archer standing over him. The alderman had never seen Malcolm in costume, so he had no idea who he was looking as besides another archer.

"If you won't help me save the city, then you can rot under it!" Blood screamed, holding up a button.

"Crap," Oliver murmured just as Roy came at him again. The archer ducked the first attack, and dropped down to kick Roy twice in the stomach. The kid didn't even blink, but when Oliver jumped up and caught him hard in the chest with both feet. Roy finally stumbled back, and Oliver continued his assault by snatching Roy's arm and throwing him into a nearby pillar. Oliver ducked the kid's attempted grapple, and the archer slammed a fist as hard as he could into Roy's kidney. Once he had done that, he went for the nerve that ran in the leg and hit it hard. Roy crumbled from the unexpected pain.

"Don't let him!" Oliver called over to Malcolm, who was currently keeping Blood from setting off whatever bomb he had placed in the building. The Dark Archer had one foot on the alderman's throat, and the other on his wrist. Blood couldn't think straight enough to set the bomb off, and the elder Merlyn had no intention of moving until he stopped kicking.

With Roy bent over, Oliver grabbed him and flung him over the shoulder and into the concrete floor. The archer dropped with Roy and placed a knee on the kid's throat. In the daze of the attack, Roy didn't much up a fight as his oxygen was cut off. He went to punch the archer, the Oliver easily maneuvered Roy into an arm lock while keeping pressure on his trachea. Finally, Roy blissfully drifted off, and Oliver stood painfully. It didn't matter that the kid had no experience in an actual fight; any of his punches would hurt and leave a nasty bruise tomorrow.

"_Are you okay? What happened?_" Felicity asked nervously.

"Both alive, found Roy," he hissed into his comm.

"_You don't sound fine._"

"I'm fine," he echoed to Felicity's annoyance. He made his way to Malcolm's side, and bent to pull the detonator from Blood's hand. "You're going to jail." He had just brushed the trigger when gunfire erupted in the basement, and both Malcolm and Oliver had to jump for cover.

"Friends of yours?" Merlyn couldn't help but ask. With Oliver around, he was constantly getting shot at.

"Apparently," he growled as he watched the man in the mask stand and disappear behind the five or so gunmen. Again the shots were wilder than anything.

"Enjoy the rubble archers!" Blood called out, but nothing happened. "Hey that's!" was all both archers heard followed by more erratic gunfire. Oliver and Malcolm glanced out from their cover to see Sara dealing with the gunmen.

Both notched arrows and moved to help dispatch the remaining men; however, when they were done, Oliver quickly noticed that while Sara had the trigger, the man in the mask was still gone. "Did you see him without the mask?" he asked Sara.

"No sorry," she sighed. "I was busier with trying to keep you two alive."

"Thanks," Oliver said as he thought back on the man. Nothing about him seemed overly familiar, and for that, Oliver was grateful. He wasn't sure what he would do if he had been wrong about a certain someone's death.

"Perhaps we shouldn't linger where they are explosives just above our heads?" Malcolm suggested, and neither one of the other vigilantes could disagree with that. Oliver had Malcolm lift Roy off the ground while he fetched the laptop he had seen during the fighting. It had bullet holes, but Felicity had been able to pull off information off a riddled laptop last time, so he hoped…

"Hospital and secure ward," Oliver said to Malcolm.

"Oliver is he..?" Sara asked.

"He is," he confirmed. "He tried to kill me because he saw I had knocked Thea out."

"Then maybe we should…" she started, but she saw the look on Oliver's face. "He's not going to get better. The psychosis will only get worse. You, more than anyone, know this!"

"I'm not going to kill him," he growled. "And neither are you. I screwed up last time. I won't this time. We'll figure this out." He looked her dead in the eye and said, "We could try… and figure out the cure." Malcolm hid his shock; there was a cure to this?

Sara sighed and growled under her breath, but she nodded. "Then let me take him to the hospital. I'll call my dad on the way, and we'll get him secured as best we can."

Sara moved towards Oliver, and he stopped her for a brief second. Lowering his head, he whispered, "Thank you." And he meant it completely. If he could help Roy, he couldn't kill him. "Be careful. Who knows how long he'll be unconscious for."

"I'll be fine," Sara stated as she hauled Roy over her bike.

"The mirakuru has a cure?" Malcolm asked standing next to Oliver.

"Whoever that man in the mask is, he's familiar with what mirakuru does to the body and mind," Oliver said instead. He didn't intent to answer Malcolm dead on. "He has to be getting the mirakuru from somewhere. We have to find his source and keep him from producing anymore human time bombs."

"This place shut down should slow his operation," Malcolm stated, even he ignored his prior question. He could tell that this mirakuru was a sore subject for Oliver, and he wouldn't push, not yet at least.

"I still don't understand what this was about though," Oliver sighed, waving his hand at the building. "Why lure us here? Just to try and crush us under the rubble?"

"It doesn't make sense," Malcolm agreed.

"_Oh god,_" Felicity murmured into their comms. _"Oliver, you're… you're not going to like this, but I think I might have figured out what this was about."_

"What is it Felicity?" he asked. He was ready for whatever she had to say, or he thought he was…

"_There's been an explosion at the prison. It's a mass break-out,_" Felicity explained.

"A distraction then," Malcolm summarized. "They gave up a place of operation for a prison break."

"This must not be their main base then," Oliver sighed as he crouched down. He needed a moment to think. "How many broke out Felicity and which ones?"

"_Not sure about the number yet,_" she said, her gulp was audible over the comm. _"I'm working through which cell blocks were effected."_

"_You need to get back here man,_" Digg added. With this sort of event, they all needed to regroup, but Oliver was just exhausted. It never would end for him, and he couldn't help but thrust his fist into the dirt in anger. He "saved" Roy, but now, there was even more danger on the horizon.

Next to him, he watched as Malcolm crouched down next to him, and the two archers sat in silence for a brief uninterrupted moment. The Dark Archer offered Oliver the trigger Sara had gotten off the alderman, and with a muttered thanks, Oliver pushed the button and destroyed the medical facility. Who knew how many more were out there… he had to find the source and destroy it… and he had to clean up the prison break… he had to stop the man in the mask.. then there was Malcolm… Oliver tried to hide the frustration and utter fatigue from his face, but he was sure Malcolm caught a glimpse of something.

"Best _we_ get back," Malcolm said, emphasizing that he would go with Oliver. He stood and offered his hand to the younger archer, and Ollie realized then Malcolm was offering him an actual alliance. The elder Merlyn would help him, and he could tell this had nothing to do with the League or prospective hunters. This was about the two of them, and with a nod, Oliver took Malcolm's hand.

"Yeah," he said in agreement. "We have a lot of work to do."

**Note:** So this was fun to write. Next chapter the fallout from the prison break and you see where this was all going with Slade. So I lied, we will get to see a bit of Talia next chapter and Nyssa either at the end of the chapter or the following chapter. Want to start to bring the hunters back in. They've been silent for some time now.


	37. Phase III: Endgame

**Chapter 37**

"Felicity," Oliver called as he ran down the stairs in the Foundry, "what's the damage? How many escaped?"

"Police are still looking through the rubble for those that were killed in the explosion," she stated as she worked through multiple news reports. Current findings were sketchy, and police were obviously downplaying who and how many were released. "Oliver…" she said as she glanced over her shoulder. Both Malcolm and Oliver were ditching their archer uniforms and bows. Each man moved with a stiffness that spoke to the injuries that they were sporting and hadn't given time to heal.

Shirt and hood gone, Oliver moved over towards Felicity to see what she wanted. He leaned across her chair to see a single report about how a certain Chinese triad member was now missing and considered incredibly dangerous. Under his breath, he cursed; it wasn't like he couldn't take China White in a fight. The issue was how difficult it had been to get her to the police the first time; they had met on multiple occasions, and she had always slipped away until the last time. If she was free, she would be at the top of his list to track down.

The triad had suffered without her, and after all the damage Helena had done, the organization was floundering. Her return could re-establish them as not just a nuisance but formidable. Malcolm glanced past Oliver's shoulder to see the woman's picture, and while he buttoned up a dress shirt, he scowled. He had heard of China White, and he had tried multiple times prior to the Undertaking to removing them with little success. The triad was resilient.

"So what now Oliver?" Diggle asked. He, too, had seen the reports, and he wondered how the young man was dealing with the additional stress. Things were piling up, and he worried how well Ollie would be able to handle it all.

"Now," he replied, his eyes trailing to his bow for only a brief second, "we wait."

"You're going to let those lunatics run wild?" Digg asked incredulous.

"I don't know who's loose or how many," Oliver said with a frown. "Once we have an actual list of names, we can work through them to find them."

To that, Diggle nodded; he felt foolish for doubting for a moment that Oliver would ignore the break-out. He tried to keep his gaze off Malcolm, but the Dark Archer's presence was anything but serene to Diggle. He understood the need for allies, but he didn't understand why the Dark Archer had to be here right now. This wasn't Malcolm's problem…

Somehow, it was like Mr. Merlyn read Digg's mind as he quickly said, "When you know more, here is my private number. Call me and I will come help in the ways I can."

"Wait… you're actually going to help? I thought you were just here to get our assistance with the hunters?" Felicity asked. "I mean not that I'm trying to dissuade you from helping or anything." She couldn't help but trail off when she realized who she was talking to. "We can take all the help we can get. Not that we can't handle this. We could totally handle this."

"Felicity," Oliver muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"It's only fair I help Oliver with this mirakuru if he helps me with the hunters," Malcolm explained, unaffected by her ramblings. He had begun to understand that it was just a common occurrence for her, and when she got started, he usually stopped listening.

"When do you care about fair play?" Digg interrogated.

The Dark Archer did not look amused, but he bit back his retorts and calmly continued, "This is my city too. I wanted to save it, and whoever is running this mirakuru is trying to destroy it."

"Killing hundreds of people is not saving anything…" Digg began, but Oliver interceded. The last thing any of them needed was this turning to a fight.

"No it's not," Oliver agreed. "But we can't change that. We can prevent the city from tearing itself apart because of mirakuru, and right now," he lowered his voice to a whisper to Digg, "the extra help would be appreciative. I'm running on fumes here Digg."

That the bodyguard couldn't argue. The last few days had been nonstop, and for Oliver to actually admit he was at the end of his rope, he had probably already fallen off said rope. The younger archer had a lot of things going on, and it had begun to blend together- the business, Felicity, Sara, Thea, Malcolm… Digg trusted Oliver; sometimes judgment could be lacking, but Digg knew that right now he was just stuck in his ways. He wanted to hate Malcolm and thus throw the older man into a jail cell, but Oliver was right. They needed the help against the mirakuru, and soon, they'd need it with the hunters.

"Alright, so what do you want to do?" Digg asked conceding defeat.

"I need names, Felicity and numbers," he reiterated. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do now, but he had considered heading back to the mansion when Felicity called his name again pulling his attention once more to her. "Then we'll…"

"Work it from there," Malcolm said. "While I am certain that some of the prisoners knew this was coming, not all of them could have. That means that a proportion of them aren't ready to take the necessary steps to hide. They won't be difficult to track."

"But what about the ones that did know?" Felicity said, mostly to herself but everyone heard.

"Then we find who this man in the skull mask is," Oliver stated. He had a feeling that this was all a bit more connected then the picture currently let on. Things were happening too quickly otherwise.

"The cure for this mirakuru would be useful as well," Malcolm said to both Felicity and Diggle's shock.

"There's a cure?" Felicity asked.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Digg quickly followed up with.

"Because I don't have the cure," he growled. He didn't blame Malcolm for saying something, but they were heading into dangerous territory with his past. "It was destroyed a long time ago, but it could maybe be synthesized again from someone who has mirakuru in them."

"Like this Roy kid?" Malcolm asked to which Oliver nodded. He chanced a glance at Diggle and Felicity to see hurt written across their faces; Malcolm had known about the cure and Roy prior to them. He hadn't meant for it to turn out like that, but it had. Oliver trusted his team and he should have kept them in the circle a bit more thoroughly.

"We still need someone who can synthesize it," Oliver added with a frown.

While upset, Felicity still piped up with, "I think I know just the people. We just need a blood sample that we can send."

"I'll call Sara and let her know then," the younger archer said.

"When you need me, call me as well," Malcolm said as he turned, grabbing his bow as he did so.

"And where are you going?" Diggle asked.

"Someplace I'm sure the tracker you placed on me can find," he responded easily. He could pull the tracker off and destroy it, but for the moment, he figured the arrow team as ease was simpler. They wouldn't be constantly fretting about him that way; as it was, he wouldn't be far. There was a hotel he knew where he could get privacy, and his identity wouldn't matter as long as he had money.

Diggle moved away, so Felicity and Oliver could speak. Somehow the bodyguard had finally picked up on the tension that had been going back and forth for the last few days. Oliver stood nearby and watched as Felicity marched up to meet him. She didn't look thrilled, but she wasn't as mad as he had seen her in the past.

"He was with me in the field, and he saw…" Oliver started, but he realized abruptly that his explanation probably wouldn't sooth her. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's not that you told him things Oliver," she countered. "It's that we had to hear what you told him from _him_. We're a team." She poked him hard in the chest before realizing that he hadn't dressed completely yet. She pulled back and tried not to look completely embarrassed.

"I know," he sighed as he reached for her hand. "I trust you Felicity. Don't forget that. I need you to keep me rooted here. To remind me that I am not a murderer."

"You're a hero," she frowned. "You're my hero," she repeated to make him believe it. She watched as he smiled, and some of the tension washed away. Working with a past enemy was stressful for the younger archer; he didn't worry about if others thought less of him. It was Felicity's opinion that mattered to him and his own.

"Thanks," he mumbled, and before he could pull away or do something else, he watched as Felicity closed the distance and kissed him. He hadn't made a move or indication, but he was thankful. He ran his hands up her arms and squeezed gently as he deepened the kiss.

"I will always believe in you," she whispered when they pulled away briefly. They both glanced towards the direction Diggle went. "How many times do you think he can walk in on us?"

"Not again if you initiate lockdown," he whispered against her lips, and he felt her smile.

…

Slade watched from the shadows. The prison break hadn't been the easiest of things to organize, but in the end, it had been worth it. It would take a lot of serum for them to be ready for what he had planned, but he had time. After tonight, it would feel quite the opposite for Oliver, but Slade had this completely laid out. He knew exactly when and where to push the young man, and now, it was time to start to plant little seeds of doubt.

Malcolm Merlyn had been unexpected but useful. Slade had seen through the video feed that the two men were now working together, which was disappointing. The former ASIS could have used an archer like Merlyn, but no matter, it worked out better this way. Working with an enemy would always cause rifts, and Slade knew exactly where to place those rips, so that it would eventually rip and fall apart. There was Mrs. Queen, Thea, Laurel, Sara… so many to choose from, and as he stared at the feed from the Foundry, he discovered an even better quarry.

However, for now, he had a plan to enact tonight. Family mattered the most to the kid, so Slade was going to enjoy ripping his apart and from him. Next to him stood a very specific triad member, and while the entire situation seemed confusing to her, money did not.

"Just the mother," Slade explained. "Leave Oliver and Thea Queen alive."

"That will not be a problem," China White replied as she watched fifty plus of the others that had escaped sit in their new accommodations. Blood was standing the middle talking about change and what would to come if they would only submit themselves to becoming powerful and unstoppable. She didn't think the prisoners cared that much about change, but she knew they wouldn't be able to resist being near unstoppable. She too knew what mirakuru was, and until now thought it was a myth. She was pleased to see she had been wrong, but she was not about to let that stuff be injected into her veins. From how the man held himself next to her, she could practically see the aura of danger and insanity rolling off of him, but she wasn't about to turn down extremely good money.

"You do not care why I'm asking this," Slade asked.

"You paid. This is a business contract," she replied with a smile. "It will be done as you ask."

"Good," he said pleased with her answer. He didn't like people who snooped around.

…..

Oliver stepped into the Queen mansion, a stupid smile plastered on his face. He couldn't help but be happy, even if they hadn't done more than kiss. Felicity had initiated the lock-down, but they hadn't gotten far when she had become uncertain. All of her bravado had drained away with the realization that apparently that was going to happen, so she had stated that this wasn't the ideal time or really place. He had laughed, and while frustrated, he had agreed. There was a lot going on, and Diggle had begun to knock loudly on one of the doors when he realized he couldn't get in.

Nonetheless, Oliver was still happy, and it was only the sight of his mother still up so late that sobered his mood. She was staring at a scrapbook of sorts, and from where he stood at the entry to the living room, he could see it was wedding pics. There were a few of his father, then there were a lot of Walter. He watched as his mother smiled sadly at almost every picture, and she ran her fingers longingly across them. In some, he could even see Malcolm, smiling with Rebecca.

"Hey Mom," Ollie said announcing his presence and startling her. She shut the book quickly.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" she asked, her lips pursed.

"Nightclub is still mine," he explained. "With everything that went on, I figured I should show my face a few times to calm the patrons." He stepped into the living room, hands in pockets. "Are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine Oliver," she said with a wave of her hand. She placed the book away and stood. "I simply lost track of time." She looked ready to bolt, but Oliver stood in her way.

"Mom," he said again. "What's going…" He didn't finish his statement when the window nearby completely blew out. Instinct caused him to pull her to the floor with himself. He watched as a group of men entered, armed with assault rifles, and from where he laid on the floor, he recognized a few triad members. Apparently, he didn't need to find China White. "Come on," he said to his mom, yanking her back up.

"Oliver…" she said, fear in her voice, but he ignored the tone and pulled her up the stairs. The security had their hands full, and the men they had hired were slowly dying. He had to get his mom to safety first, then he would deal with the intruders.

"Mrs. Queen," China White said in the hallway, stopping the two Queens in their tracks. Oliver placed himself directly in front of his mother without second thought. His options were limited, so he quickly stuffed his hand into his pocket and fished out his phone. "Calling the police will do nothing Mr. Queen."

He wanted to smarmily reply that he wasn't calling the police, but he could see what she meant. His phone service was knocked out. He quickly typed up a text and returned the phone back to his pocket. He continuously hit send with the hope that service would come back long enough for the short message to send. "Stay behind me," he said to Moira, who looked a bit stuck between terrified and angry at the intruders.

"Come now," China said, cocking her head. "Move aside Mr. Queen. We weren't paid for your life, only hers."

"Good to know," he snarled snatching a vase off a nearby stand and throwing it with deadly accuracy. China hadn't been expecting that, so she ducked giving both Queens time to dash into a nearby hallway.

Oliver barricaded them into a room that he knew had a side door they could escape through. He looked at his phone again and saw he had one bar; he didn't waste any time in sending out the text. "Where's Thea?" Oliver asked blatantly frightened for his sister.

"Her boyfriend was found," Moira explained. "She went to the hospital a few hours ago."

"Good," Oliver stated. "Any idea who did this?"

"I have one," she growled as her thoughts flashed to Malcolm. It made the most sense as he wanted their daughter, and she wasn't willing to hand Thea over to the psychopath. She couldn't be happier that she had told the League about him now; he didn't even have the decency to come kill her himself.

"Tell me about it when we get out this," Oliver said pushing her back. He could hear someone at the door, and he was going to let them breakthrough. The doorway would limit their movements but not his.

"Oliver this way," Moira stated running through a nearby door, and he growled to himself. He couldn't leave his mom alone, so he took off after her. "If we can get to the panic room," she stated. It had been a new addition after the last break-in with assassins.

Moira had maneuvered her way silently and quickly through a large chunk of rooms in time to burst into the kitchen. She startled two of the triad members there, who raised their guns in response. Her eyes went wide with the realization she probably just killed herself and her son who was going to sprint into the bullets. She was ready to through herself forward to protect him the best she could when she felt, not saw, Oliver run by.

In a mix of absolute horror and surprise, she watched Oliver snatch one gun and push it back into the triad member's face. The triad member's nose splattered with blood, and he collapsed in a heap. Oliver then spun and caught the other around the neck, and with a quick toss had that triad member sprawled along the kitchen's island. Ollie brought his elbow down on the man's trachea effectively cutting off oxygen, and he didn't waste any time in getting the man in an effective chokehold. Thirteen seconds later, the triad member was unconscious.

"Oliver," Moira said breathlessly unable to process what she had just seen, but she wasn't given much time to either as more members burst into her kitchen dinette area. This time China White was with them, but Ollie didn't hesitate in again placing himself between the triad and his mother.

China eyed up her two unconscious members, and she stared at the young Queen scion with suspicion. He wasn't staring at her in fear or confusion; no, she could see the rage on his face. She'd have to apologize to Mr. Wilson later, but she wasn't sure that the boy was going to let them easily kill his mother. They'd have to at least incapacitate him, and when she moved forward to do just that, she watched as he stepped forward as well.

"Brave aren't you?" she asked.

"You have no idea," he snarled as he observed the six triad members. He could brush off the two behind him as adrenaline, but to deal with the rest, he'd have to show his full set of skills. While he didn't want his mom to know the truth, he couldn't afford to have China White know.

Oliver saw the knife in her hand, and he thought of a dozen ways he could disarm her then kill her with it. However before he could implement any of those, the window in the kitchen also shattered. Oliver yanked Moira behind the kitchen island just as Malcolm came zip-lining in. He was suddenly thankful that he not only had texted the other archer, but he had purposefully left out the fact Thea wasn't here.

The Dark Archer didn't hesitate in putting two arrows in a triad member's chest, and he rushed in slapping China's face with his bow. He glanced over his shoulder to see Oliver had Moira protected. Whatever White had been expecting, this wasn't it; she was tired of these archers. She raised her knife with the intention of ending this quickly, but Malcolm spun and landed a kick squarely in her chest. She stumbled back, and she watched as he was easily dispatching her men.

Deciding this still wasn't worth her life since the Dark Archer didn't seem to have the same code as the green archer, she took to the hallway. Three more men stood there with semi-automatic rifles. She sent them in while she found an exit. She disliked surprises, and she wasn't willing to give up her newfound freedom just yet. She'd return to Slade and re-group with a new plan that hopefully didn't involve any archers.

Inside the house, Malcolm had killed an additional two triad members which just left four. "Stay here," Oliver ordered Moira as he stood.

"Where are you going?" she asked as she grasped his arm.

"Stay here and stay down," he repeated when he heard Malcolm snarl and cry out. A blade stuck awkwardly out of the older man's shoulder. It wasn't deep, but it had obviously caught the Dark Archer in surprise. He went to help, but Malcolm held up a hand stilling the younger Queen. Something passed between the men, and Oliver nodded and stayed back with his mother.

Moira watched at the impossibility of her son interacting with Malcolm. Within minutes, the Dark Archer had easily dispatched every triad member, and he didn't hesitated to kill those remaining. They couldn't risk anyone returning and blabbing Oliver's secret, and for that the Queen scion was thankful. He wasn't thrilled that the men had to die, but they did. There was no way around it.

"Oliver! Get away from him!" Moira cried when Oliver had approached Malcolm as he finished the last member.

"Thank-you," he said for the elder archer's ears only. "I was worried you hadn't gotten my message."

"It was a bit jumbled," Malcolm frowned as he removed his cowl. "But the word triad and house were apparent enough."

"Oliver," Moira repeated slowly as she came up to the men, and as she looked from Oliver then to Malcolm and back, her mouth formed an 'o'. "_Oliver_," she whispered, her eyes wide as the truth hit her like a freight train.

…

Sara stood atop the clock tower again, enjoying the breeze licking her face. She had just returned from the hospital with the promise she'd visit her father and sister later. Their mother was apparently leaving town soon, and she wanted a good-bye. Sara could do that even if she hated that word.

The ex-League member would have gone to the Foundry but a text from Felicity had stalled her tracks. The text hadn't made much sense, and it looked like the young IT girl might have accidently sent it via butt text. When she had followed it up with Diggle, she had been told that it would be better if she took the night off. That had brought a smile to her face; Oliver did deserve to be happy. He truly did, and she was thankful it was someone other than her. She wasn't good for him; he was overcoming the darkness that stained his soul… she… she wasn't even sure if she wanted to.

"Sara," her name brought her spinning around and pinning the person to the tower. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Nyssa. She quickly released the Al Ghul and stepped away. "It is good to see your reflexes are still at the level they should be."

"You shouldn't be here," Sara said. "You should be back in Nanda Parbat."

"It will take my Father a few days to realize I did not board the plane I was supposed to," Nyssa said with a sad smile. The two took a moment of silence before she asked, "How is your mother?"

Sara scowled and put distance between them. She did not look thrilled with her ex-lover. "She will live, but she is having nightmares."

"I am sorry for involving your family," Nyssa said slowly. "You must understand that. I did not want to, but you were League… you belonged with us."

"With you?" she growled, narrowing her gaze.

"I did not want to watch you die," she whispered in response. "You know I would have. If a hunter had come for you and you had been dragged back to the League, they would have killed you in front of me. I could not…" She needed Sara to understand. "I had to convince you that it was safer to return with me."

"So you kidnapped my mother?" Sara rolled her eyes before adding, "I mean you had Viper do it."

"You hate me," Nyssa said matter-of-factly.

There was a moment of silence before Sara sighed, "No, I don't hate you. I knew what you would have to do, or at least, what the hunters would do. It's our code. Was my code." She licked her lips slowly, and she could see Nyssa's eyes were drawn to the movement. "I just hadn't thought you would do it."

Nyssa didn't lower her head or shy away; she was proud, perhaps not of her actions but of her devotion to both the League and Sara. "I am sorry. But would you have really preferred a hunter to do it? I had ordered your mother kidnapped, but she was safe with me. I would not have allowed harm to come to her, no matter what I said. You know that, or I thought you did."

Sara had to give Nyssa that, and she frowned with the realization of how little she had thought of Nyssa during that. The Al Ghul had restraint and wouldn't have pushed it unless backed into a corner. Sara had done just that, and still Nyssa had held back. The League member could have ordered Viper to kill her entire family, but she hadn't.

"Why are you here Nyssa?" Sara asked again wanting to reach out for Nyssa. Her fingertips brushed air for a brief second before the other woman's hand met hers mid-air. Fingers clasped, they pulled themselves together. "I cannot forgive you for what you've done."

"I understand," Nyssa said.

"At least not yet," Sara clarified. "But I will." She leaned forward and kissed the other woman chastely. "You shouldn't be here," she whispered against Nyssa's lips. She wouldn't lie, she was happy that Nyssa was still here.

"I had to stay and warn you," Nyssa explained pulling back far enough.

"Yes the other hunters," Sara sighed. "I'm sure Talia is already here, which makes this all the more dangerous for you."

"It's not Talia," Nyssa frowned and continued with Sara's confusion. "I would have told you sooner but this is the first time I could slip by my sister's surveillance, and I had thought you would be gone with me already. I did not think this man would be an issue to you."

"Who are you talking about?" Sara asked.

"I remember the man from your nightmares, from your beginning time in the League," Nyssa continued. "He's here… Slade Wilson is here in Starling."

…..

Slade watched the pacing woman in his office. China White looked absolutely furious, and he found it rather annoying that she was still here. She had burst into his office with a mixture of apologies and determination to continue. "Your job is done," Slade stated.

"Our quarry is not dead," China argued.

"You did what I wanted," Slade repeated. He raised his hand to the door. "You may keep the payment in full."

"I don't understand," she said.

"I thought you didn't ask questions."

China nodded and apologized one more time before taking her leave. From the shadows, another woman melted out. Dressed similar to Nyssa's League gear, she stood with her arms crossed. Her short hair was spiked up, and her dark gaze narrowed as the triad member's footsteps finally faded away. Talia turned, her sword clinging as she did so, towards Slade, and she took a seat across from the other man.

"I thought you wanted Oliver Queen utterly alone," she said, her tone emotionless. There wasn't curiosity or interest in her voice; she was simply stating a fact.

"Yes but that doesn't mean they have to be dead," Slade smiled. "Is it worse for family to die and leave you or for them to voluntarily pull away?" He showed her the clip from the Queen Mansion of Oliver using his training. It was obvious from the picture that Moira had begun to put the pieces in place.

Talia nodded her understanding before she changed the subject. "I will assume our deal is still in place?"

"Yes although it took you much longer to get here than you had said," Slade said. Shado was purring in his ear, her arms flung across his chest as she leaned against his back.

"Malcolm Merlyn's presence was… unexpected," she stated. "We had all thought he was dead, so his return to Starling resulted in the halting of our plans. I could not travel here on a whim anymore with Malcolm here, and my father was unwilling to send me without reason. Hence why I told you to kidnap my sister."

"Malcolm Merlyn beat me to that," Slade smiled.

"Yes, and that works out even better," Talia nodded. "It does however mean I have to deal with him first before I can continue with you. My Father expects results, and I will not fail him."

"And yet here you are with me?" Slade asked. He wanted to understand this partner; they each had something the other wanted.

"My Father's vision is old. He will come to see my way is the only way in time." She considered the mercenary across from her, and she knew to tread lightly. Mirakuru was nothing to mess with, and insanity made people unpredictable. On the other hand, Talia enjoyed the rush of finally being in this room. "The additional twenty League members I promised will be here within a few days," she explained a breath later. "Your mirakuru for my help, correct?"

Slade smiled at the thought of twenty highly-trained League members with mirakuru in their veins. "That is the deal."

**Note:** Did I turn this into a reveal fic? Yes I did :P. Anyway, this is a huge chapter, wow. So I made an executive decision, and it's not bad or anything just a bit of re-ordering. The next chapter will finish this arc a bit more (markov will probably overlap into this at the end), and after that, we will have a chapter or two dedicated to the markov device. Then the interlude, and finally the hunters are back in full swing… with Slade. I'm evil, what can I say? Things cannot be easy for Oliver, and for those wondering what I plan to do with Thea- since she's still very trusting of her brother (I got that covered)- and Moira, who died in the show… well I'm not spoiling anything.  
Just know this final part that pulls everything together is going to be insane.


	38. Facade

**Chapter 38**

Moira, for a moment, looked like a fish out of water; her mouth moved but no words were formed. It was an awkward silence that descended among the Queens and one Merlyn and all the dead bodies now littering the floor. Of course Moira had always had a sneaking suspicion, but it had been just that. A suspicion she had never thought to be actually true; it had been a thought that gave her amusement. However as she looked back to the two men sprawled out in her kitchen, the pieces seemingly fell together and fit so well that it was hard to ignore how blinded she had been up until now.

Mrs. Queen needed to breathe again, and as she stared at her son, his lips pressed firmly into a line, she remembered back on that night in the office… she had shot him. Falling back into a wall, she braced herself against it, and somewhere in the fog of her mind, she could hear Oliver calling her name.

Oliver sighed at the sight of his mother, eyes unfocused and breathing shallow. He had expected a reaction, but he had somewhat thought she'd be angry. He glanced back to see Malcolm was picking up his arrows, and while the other archer was pretending to ignore the family drama, Oliver could tell the elder Merlyn was keeping an eye on Moira. People in any sort of emotional shock were a bit unpredictable.

"Thank you," Oliver stated again as he considered the elder Merlyn. "Thea is not here before you ask. She's at the hospital with Roy."

"I know," he answered. "I was watching her before I received your text."

There was a moment of silence between the two archers. Malcolm had known Thea was safe, but he had still come to help. For that Oliver was grateful, and he doubted he could ever get that across completely. Instead of expressing this, he instead stated, "I have some arrows in my room. Between the two of us, it might look better like it was my counterpart that was here."

"Detective Lance was suspicious of you last year," Malcolm pointed out as he placed every arrow into a quiver. "If I can find a gun, I can make the wound appear to be bullet wounds." There was a chance that wouldn't hold up at autopsy of course, but knowing he needed a moment alone with his mother as well, Oliver pointed down the hall where some of the dead guards would be.

"Drag one back here as well. It might be hard to explain how a guard saved my mother and myself if they are all dead in the hallway," he explained, and the Dark Archer agreed quietly before he took his leave. He could also tell Moira needed some room, and he was not helping the situation. He wasn't thrilled the prospect of dragging dead weight though; his shoulder where the knife had caught him was throbbing. This wouldn't be easy with only one fully functioning arm, but Malcolm was inventive. He'd figure it out, and in the meantime, Oliver could speak with his mother.

"Mom," Oliver tried again. He reached out slowly and grasped her shoulder. He watched as some of the light returned to her eyes, and whatever she had been thinking about began to fade back into the recesses of her mind.

"I shot you," she whispered as she looked up into the worried gaze of her son. In that moment, that was all he was to her- not the vigilante, not a murderer… just her son that she had hurt. "I…"

"I'm fine," he interrupted quickly. Just to make the point, he pulled down part of his shirt to show the scar. "See barely noticeable, and I did threaten you first."

"Why? I don't understand Oliver," she said, her voice breathless, but as she said it, she knew the answer. He had been backed into a corner over the Undertaking; he had known she had known something, and she had refused to digress it any other way. She ran a weary hand over her face, and Oliver didn't answer her. "You're the Arrow," she continued instead. She needed to say it aloud, something to make this seem and feel real.

"Yes," he said. He heard a crash out in the hallway, and he glanced out to see Malcolm angrily kicking a dead body. There didn't seem to be any trouble otherwise, so he focused back in on his mother.

"I shot you."

"Yes."

"You've killed people."

"…Yes." On this Oliver hesitated since he was trying to avoid killing now, but he hadn't been paying attention to the news lately. He wasn't sure if they had been reporting that his most recent excursions had resulted in zero fatalities, or if they had spun when the police killed someone, that he had done it. In truth, he didn't entirely care what the news said. As long as he could do his job, that's what was important at the end of the day, not public opinion… then again, his job would be entirely easier if they were on his side.

Moira sighed as she straightened herself, and she reached out and touched Oliver's cheek. The tension in the room practically evaporated, and he tried not to smile at the gesture. "I always," she began before she stopped and thought on her words. "I think I always knew. In the back of my mind, I just did. Your frequent bike accidents," she said pointedly, and this time, he couldn't help but smile. "And how you always disappeared when there seemed to be trouble… My trial?" she asked.

"The Count had broken out of prison, and he had threatened…. Someone very close to me," Oliver explained. His secret might be out, but he had learned his mistake from Helena. He wouldn't reveal Diggle or Felicity without their express permission. "I'm sorry but I had to stop him."

"I'm glad you did," she said thinking back on Thea. "You helped keep your sister out of jail." To that, he nodded.

"I hope you don't see me as a murderer," he whispered. His mother's opinion of him did matter to him, and it had hurt him to deceive her since his return from the island. Inside, he was a worried mess that she would eventually react how Tommy had.

"Oh my beautiful boy," she smiled as she pulled him into a hug. "You helped save this city. I'm so proud of you." She stepped back and considered the real Oliver, the one she had always known was there but finally visible. Her gaze drifted over his shoulder though to see Malcolm Merlyn leaning against the wall in the hallway. Unable to help herself, she visibly gulped and narrowed her gaze. "What I do not understand is him." Her voice was low enough that she hoped only Oliver could hear, but she watched as Malcolm tilted his head towards her. He had heard something at the very least.

"There isn't a choice," he sighed. "Mom, you and Thea are in danger. He was the only remaining option."

"We're safe Oliver," she argued. She did not like having the elder Merlyn in her house; to her, it didn't matter that he had just saved their lives. "Whoever…"

"It's the League," he outright said. He remembered that it had been her that had revealed Malcolm, so Oliver didn't see much of a point beating around the bush any longer.

"That's not possible," she said. "Viper said…"

Oliver groaned at the hunter's name. "You've spoken with her?"

"Oliver, listen to me," Moira said urgently, "do not interfere with the League's business. Do not fight these people." She was shaking her head; the memory of how easily Viper had infiltrated the mansion at the forefront of her mind. "They will kill you."

"They've already tried," he growled. He wanted to protect her from these truths, but it was hard to ignore that part of this laid on her shoulders. "Mom, you and Thea are. Not. Safe." He punctuated every word. "Whatever the League promised you, its void. You've met Viper. There are four others just like her out there in the city right now, and they do not care about the casualties."

"They told me…" she said trailing off.

"Whatever they told you no longer applies Moira," Malcolm said, reinserting himself into the conversation. "Because Thea is my daughter, she is a target. Even if I surrendered, they could and most likely would go after Thea."

"Viper said she'd leave my daughter out of this!" Moira said, purposefully using the word 'my' and not 'ours'. "I want you out of my house. I want you out of our lives."

"Mom," Oliver said, trying to calm the emotions in the room.

"No, Oliver," Malcolm stated. "For the moment, it might be best if I leave."

"You stay away from Thea," she growled, and Oliver put himself between the two. He glanced at Malcolm and nodded his consent. He'd see Malcolm later as obviously the Dark Archer hadn't orchestrated this attack. They had to find the money trail and figure out how this all tied together. Someone had broken China White out of prison specifically for this, but whoever it was did not tell her about his identity… unless who hired her did not know it themselves.

"Right now Mom," Oliver sighed once the Dark Archer had melted away back into the shadows. He doubted Merlyn would be that far; there was a chance more assassins could arrive. At least, the guard's body was now in the room, and the wounds could be faked appropriately. "He's the best protection she has."

"I refuse to believe that," she stated. "Thea has you."

"She does," he sighed, "But there is a lot more going on right now then just the League." He waved his hand at the bodies. "Someone tried to kill you tonight, and the League doesn't hire out." Her eyes focused in on the bodies, and he could see he had made some progress. "I need to keep everyone safe." He didn't need to elaborate that everyone did not just mean family and friends; it meant the city too.

"But him?" she asked, her voice soft. She watched his frown, and she suddenly realized that her son did not like the situation any more than she did. But he had pushed aside his own animosity towards the man and his hate, so that Thea would be safe. He had given up part of himself to make it work with Malcolm, and Moira hugged Oliver for that. "I may not always agree with you or like what you do… but you're still my son, and I'm glad for it." She felt him hug her back.

…..

Slade slammed a fist into the table, causing the metal to bend from the force. His eye was burning into the table as he watched mother and son embrace. Slade had considered that Moira would forgive her son for being a vigilante, but he had practically bet on the fact she wouldn't accept Malcolm Merlyn… however, as he watched the two, she did just that.

In the back of his throat, a snarl rose from his lips. This complicated matters, and he tightened his right fist. There was, of course, the easy solution, but he couldn't see the benefit to killing Moira just yet. Shado stepped around, so she was in his line of sight. "She might accept him… but would his sister?"

"This family is a pathetic bunch," Slade growled to the air. "Probably. She'd see him as a hero."

"Why? He's no hero. He didn't save me," Shado said, and her words sunk deep.

Slade couldn't hide the smirk as a new plan, a better one, began to form. This was salvageable, and if anything, this development actually worked more in his favor. Tapping a few keys, he pulled up the hospital footage of Thea sitting with Roy, his hand intertwined with hers. The boy was still unconscious, and based on the high dosage of meds, he'd stay that way. Slade could change that…

"We found the device sir," a guard gulped as he stepped into the room. He was next on the list for the mirakuru. "It's being moved into the city tomorrow. The Triad has already targeted the shipment."

"Good," Slade nodded. That would keep Oliver busy for a bit, which meant Slade had time to start the next and final phase of his plan. He grinned… soon his "brother" would be begging for death.

**Note:** Sorry this one's a bit late. No excuse, just didn't get around to writing it until now. Though technically, I did say a once a week update, so I'm still within my time frame. So in the show, I'm happy they showed Moira knew about Oliver's secret, but I felt it was a really underdeveloped moment. I hope I expanded it in a way that you guys like because I think Moira would accept it, but I thought she should have a bit more of a reaction to it.

Anyway, markov device next chapter and then an interlude. The final part of this story will have lots of Talia, kind of Viper (you'll see why), and Slade.

Enjoy


	39. Stability

**Chapter 39**

Moira tried to watch impassively as her son weaved lie after lie to the police about the triad. She watched how easily they slipped from his lips, and she tried not to dwell on how many he had told her over the last year and a half. She wasn't sure how she would continue to deal with his secret if she focused in on it.

The police were mostly friendly and understanding, and while they seemed hesitant to believe one bodyguard had managed to take out a group of triad, they didn't push the story. After all to them, there was no other possibility. Broken windows, bones, and plaster was easily explained away by Oliver. All the while, he kept one eye on his mother who was sitting on the back of an ambulance; her eyes were still a bit glassy. Whatever was on her mind had her deep in thought, but Oliver didn't get the chance to think on it too much when Diggle jogged up.

"If you have any more questions, let me know," Oliver said, practically dismissing the cops from his presence. He turned and faced his friend, whose face said it all- 'what happened'. "The triad came after my mother. China White among them."

"So she was one of the escapees then," Digg frowned. "You okay?" His eyes trailed over to Moira, but Oliver kept Digg's focus front and center.

"I'm fine," he sighed. "My mother not so much. She figured it out Digg."

"You revealed yourself?"

Oliver shook his head barely. "No. I was trying to avoid that. She figured it out when she saw Malcolm and I conversing afterwards."

"Oliver," Digg hissed. "Malcolm was here?"

"I didn't want to reveal us, and we aren't talking about two or three triad members here Digg," Oliver growled back, his finger pointing to the numerous body bags. He listened to his friend suck in a breath at the sight of so many. "So yes I called him first, but not because I didn't trust you not to help."

While the mattered didn't look to be completely settled, Digg dropped it for now. Instead, he asked, "What were they here for?"

Ollie shrugged as he was completely unsure. "We need to get back to the Foundry." That Diggle agreed with completely, but it looked like none of them were going to get any sleep tonight. "But first," he said indicating his mother. "I'll meet you there."

Oliver returned to Moira's side and sat next to her at the end of the ambulance. He didn't say anything, just took a seat and waited. He was sure there was still so much to say, but instead of worry, a sense of calm overtook him. His mother had already stated that she was proud of him, but the triad's actions… he wasn't sure what to think of that.

"So Mr. Diggle?" she asked, barely turning her head to face her son. While he didn't answer, she saw the small smirk playing at his lips. "I figured as much since someone had to kidnap me last year. He hit you."

"He pulled his punches," Oliver argued lightly. "We were out of time and options. I'm sorry."

"There isn't any need," Moira said. "If you hadn't done what you did, you couldn't have stopped Malcolm."

"Didn't exactly stop him Mom," he pointed out thinking of the half-destroyed Glades. Police moved around them, but no one paid much attention to the duo on the ambulance. They were too busy cataloguing evidence and tracking bullet holes. There wouldn't be any holes for the bodies, but Ollie had made sure all the bullets had stayed in the bodies. He didn't want to deal with more questions if he could avoid it.

"No," she sighed. "But it could have been worse." They sat for a moment. "Please be careful with him Oliver. The moment he has the chance to betray you for his benefit, he will."

Oliver hesitated in answering, and he wasn't entirely sure why. Originally, he had planned to say 'I know' but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he settled on, "I'll be okay Mom."

"Your sister," she began, but Ollie was quick to cut her off.

"Is safe, and I was planning on checking on her before I…" He trailed off unsure of how to phrase his nightlife.

Moira's eyes widened. "You can't be serious Oliver," she said breathlessly. "We were almost killed tonight, and you're going right back out."

"Mom," he said with a frown. "Someone tried to kill you, and I doubt they're going to just stop. I need to find out why and who. The triad gets hired to do a job." He watched as understanding filtered across her face, and he had to wonder how much she knew about the triad. She had known about the League, and their practices were certainly less known than the triad's. His mind went back to the night at Merlyn Global and Malcolm's attempted assassination…

"Please be careful," she whispered knowing nothing she could say would stop him. This was his life.

He took her hand gently in his and squeezed. "I'll be fine."

"Just as you are each time you end up in the hospital?" she asked, thinking of how many different times she had visited him. Each time he had been banged, bloody, and at one point broken. She shuddered to think Malcolm had done any of that.

"There are risks," he admitted. "But this is something I have to do." He wasn't about to lay it out how his mission had started off as a way to honor his father, but he wanted her to understand that this wasn't something he could simply walk away from. He had his reasons, and they were important. He watched as his mother nodded and frowned.

Oliver stood and headed to fetch his bike. The police had his number if they needed him again, but for now, he had to visit his sister. He wanted to be sure that she was okay, and that it had been silent at the hospital. He glanced back in time to see his mother shouting an 'I love you', and that made him smile. She was worried about what he did because there was a chance he wouldn't come home one night, but he was glad that she had accepted it and embraced it to some degree. She had seen firsthand what the vigilante could accomplish, and right now, the city still needed a hero.

Diggle and Felicity were both leaning over the computer as she worked hard to try and track the money the triad had been given. It was never easy to hack into the triad's accounts, but since China's arrest, their security had been incredibly lax. Her return might have sparked a reigniting to their work, but they obviously hadn't had time to upgrade whatever system they used for bank transfers.

"Any luck?" Oliver asked as he descended into the Foundry. His sister had not left Roy's side, and it didn't look like she was going to anytime soon. Of course while she was angry at their mother still, she had become visibly distraught upon learning that Moira had been attacked. It had taken a good fifteen minutes for Oliver to calm Thea enough so that he could explain that their mother was safe, and the police were all over the mansion. There had been a moment where he had seen Thea considering returning home, but instead, she had gone back to Roy's side. Her anger had won out, and knowing he had been dismissed, he made her promise to call and then, he returned to the Foundry.

"I've found the money trail," Felicity sighed glancing back towards Oliver. She could see the tension in his shoulders, but she doubted he'd actually admit to what he was feeling. "But I haven't been able to trace it just yet." She grabbed a nearby folder and handed it to him once he was close enough. "I was able to compile a list though of all the confirmed escaped convicts. Out of the seventy-five that escaped, fifty-two are still missing with no trace."

"Odd," he murmured to himself before looking at Felicity.

"Aren't I amazing?" she asked, mostly as a joke, but she watched as an actual smile graced his face.

"I haven't told you that yet today?" he asked, and when she shook his head, he gave in. "Felicity Smoak, you are amazing." Digg watched the exchange with a small smile of his own, but he didn't interrupt… this time.

The moment hung in the air before Oliver broke eye contact and went back to the folder. "Fifty two prisoners can't just vanish."

"What's priority here, man?" Digg asked. They were already stretched pretty thin here, so they needed to have a focus.

"Since China White was part of the escape, and immediately after, she went after my mother, I would say keep following the money trail," he explained. "Hopefully, we get lucky, and the prison break and the attack are interconnected." Suddenly, he noticed they were missing a member. "Where's Sara?"

…

Sara and Nyssa laid huddled close together on the roof. In the dead of night, they were both hidden, and both were waiting patiently. Sara wanted to trust Nyssa, but she couldn't just take her ex-lover at face value. When Nyssa said Slade was in Starling, the Canary had demanded to find his hideout, which Nyssa knew.

Now, the two were across from that building, and Sara was waiting for someone to appear. Currently, the building looked dead, and they hadn't seen even an inch of movement. The blonde was half-tempted to give up and return to the Foundry, but one thing she had learned the hard way in the League was patience. If she had to sit until sunrise, she would; at least, Nyssa was with her.

Sara glanced over to see Nyssa was staring not at the building but her intently. When their eyes caught, they both couldn't help but smile; however, Sara's faded fast and she scowled. After Nyssa's stunt, they still had a long way to go to return things to even a semblance of normal.

The entire time they had been up on the roof, neither spoke. It was uncertain if that was due to their current objective or if simply, they had nothing left to say to each other. The trust they had formed in the League was a long way to being mended; however, Sara glanced over to Nyssa and smiled. At least, it was on the way.

Commotion across the way grabbed Sara's attention, and when she turned to look, she couldn't keep the shock from her face. Not only was it Isabel Roschav, but… she felt her breath catch.

"I need to warn Oliver," Sara said.

"Sara," Nyssa said. "You need to leave town."

"Slade might hate me," she argued, "but he's here for Oliver… and Slade will kill him." That was the end of that conversation. "You should leave," she added as she picked up her staff and stepped away from the roof's edge. The last thing they needed was to be spotted. "You're not safe here either."

"I will be fine," Nyssa said, but she knew Sara was right. She was supposed to be on a plane back to her father already. Talia would not be thrilled if she was discovered still present in Starling.

Had the two waited a minute longer, they would have seen the older Al Ghul also emerge from the building, but Sara and Nyssa had already disappeared into the night. Sara was rushing back to the Foundry, and Nyssa was left standing desolate in an alley. She had wanted to follow, but Oliver's team was not thrilled with the League currently. For now, she'd have to stay away, and while it hurt to leave without a proper good-bye, she knew she had to return to Parbet now. She had warned Sara of the coming danger, and that was all she could for the now ex-League member but still friend.

….

"Whoa," Felicity suddenly said as she typed faster. "There was just another large transaction dumped into the triad's account."

Oliver was at her side instantly, fearful that perhaps they had gotten more money to go after his mother again. He watched a bit in shock as Felicity worked through multiple pop-ups as she attempted to back-trace where the money had come from. Unlike before, this time she had luck and she threw her fist into the air with a resounding 'yes'.

"The money is a deposit from a man called Gholem Quadir," Felicity said sounding through the name slowly and still stumbling. Both didn't notice Diggle tense, and the IT girl worked to pull up some personal information on the man. "He works out of Markovia, Europe… and at one time, he was in…" she had begun, but Diggle interrupted.

"Afghanistan," he sighed. They turned to look at him, Felicity with some remorse in her gaze, and Oliver's look gave nothing away. "I helped to escort him at one point. He was just another madman, another warlord, but it was our orders. I didn't realize he was in the States now."

"Any idea what he paid the triad for?" Oliver asked as he reached out and clapped Digg's shoulder sympathetically. It was hard for the other man at times to think back on the orders he had followed because he had to. At least here Digg lived by his own rules, and they worked to actually make the city a better place. A true better place, not what someone else said was better.

"I can't find details on that specifically," Felicity frowned. "But… Yes," she said again then blushed. "I was able to hack his system and find that he has a lot of details on this building in the business district."

"So whatever he's after is probably there," he frowned. "And he's using the triad to get it." He looked down at Felicity. "So how many laws did you just break hacking his system?"

"No more than you do with your," she explained before using charades to indicate a bow and arrow. "Then again, murder does have the higher penalty… Well occasionally it does depending on all sorts of elements. But I'm sure in your case, you would have the highest severity thrown… at… you…" She watched as amusement flickered over Oliver's face before he sighed and shook his head.

"Do we know when the pick-up is?" Oliver asked, trying not to grin. He didn't even care that Felicity had lumped him with the murderers because in the eyes of the law, he was. However he knew that in hers, he wasn't, and that's what mattered.

Felicity gave up on the computer systems belonging to both the triad and this random business man; instead, she worked to open the systems linked to the storage warehouse and security cameras. "No," she admitted. "But I should be able to place a virus in this building's system that will alert us to anyone trying to get in."

"You're amazing," Oliver repeated.

"You've already said that," she said.

"Well, I needed to say it again," he murmured leaning down to close the distance between them, but when Diggle cleared his throat, Oliver had half a mind to murder his own bodyguard. The archer turned to look, but he caught sight of what Digg had seen. Malcolm was in the Foundry again. "Something happen?" he asked pulling away reluctantly from Felicity.

"No," Malcolm said. "I was curious to know if you had discovered why Moira had been targeted." He didn't like the thought of someone going after her, and while he wouldn't admit it aloud, he hated that she couldn't stand the sight of him anymore. He understood her reasons, but he had still felt blindsided when she betrayed him. He had thought they were a team, and while he had been wrong, he wasn't about to let a triad member kill her.

"Not yet," Oliver admitted. "We did find the next target of the triad though."

"Oh?"

"There all set," Felicity said. "Now when someone breaks down the door… or glass… or however people break-in today, we will know."

"What's the target?"

"No idea," Oliver shrugged. "We just have the location of the pick-up."

Malcolm considered this for a moment, and while the night had already been long, they were still a few more hours until sunrise. Tomorrow they'd be out like rocks, but at least, they could get some answers tonight. "What are you waiting for then Oliver?" he asked motioning with his bow. "Did you want to check this out or not?"

Oliver had been wanting to wait for Sara, unwilling to walk alone into something that could potentially be a trap, but she wasn't picking up her phone. There was a chance she was asleep, or she was out doing her own usual rounds of dealing with what she liked to call the pigs on the streets. He could wait, but then, he could lose his chance to scope the building prior to a fight.

That in mind, he grabbed his hood and began to suit up. Digg walked over. "You sure about this? I could go with."

"Triad are heavy hitters," Oliver said as he zipped up. "And anyway, I want you to keep an eye on my Mother." He watched Digg's gaze and contested face before explaining, "I trust you to protect her." Diggle understood perfectly well know; Oliver did not want Malcolm to be the only one watching his family. The man thus far had proven to be on their side, but none were willing to completely drop their guard yet.

Snatching his bow and moving back to Felicity, Oliver bent low and pretended to be looking at something on the computer. He then quickly and out of sight of the other two men kissed her cheek lightly. "Keep me informed on what you see." He watched the blush fill her face, and he couldn't help but smile.

"I'll try," she stated before quickly correcting to, "I will."

The two archers left the Foundry, and Diggle was left standing with Felicity wondering when things had turned upside down. She didn't try to think on it too hard before returning to her computer to try and watch security cameras. It was up to her to give the archers a heads up if anyone was coming; Diggle, on the other hand, grabbed a bag to head back to the mansion.

…..

Viper sat back, hidden amongst the shadows, and watched the two archers check the building for potential traps and people. To her, it was odd to watch two sworn enemies work together so fluidly, but she had done her job. She had forced Oliver into a corner, and he had done the only thing he thought would change things. Credit was due since she hadn't thought he would have been able to swallow his pride so that he could work with the Dark Archer.

It was a shame, Viper couldn't help but think. Oliver would have been an excellent addition to their ranks, but she didn't think he'd make it through it even try now. Talia was vicious, and she'd kill him for simply being in her way. Technically at this point, it wouldn't have even mattered if he had stepped aside; Talia still would have probably gunned for the Arrow. There was no gray in Talia's world, and for that, Viper felt a semblance of pity for the emerald archer. He had no idea what storm was brewing.

The hunter played idly with her bow and didn't follow when the men entered the warehouse. She had already scoped it out and knew what was hidden amongst the boxes. She was curious how the archers would react to the device, but she wasn't enough so that she left her vantage point. The triad was also supposed to be here tonight, and the only reason she was here was due to Talia's cryptic orders that the archers were to be watched. How the other hunter knew they'd be here… Viper supposed that Talia had found the Arrow's base and had their own cameras turned on them, but she couldn't be sure without asking, and she wasn't about to.

With that, her thoughts turned to the hunters 'leader'. Talia was the best of them, and when they were all together, they mostly listened to her. Viper fell into the 'mostly' category; if she could get away without following Talia to a t, she would. Lately however, the hunters had been left to their own devices while Talia had disappeared for long periods. Viper wasn't sure what to think of that, and she was half tempted to follow the Al Ghul one night, but after what happened to Tyri… She had no proof of it of course, but Tyri had died in the field two months ago. That left four hunters, and Viper found it odd that a hunter that never had an issue with a target had been killed by a low priority one at that. She was suspicious, of course, since Tyri was similar to her in that acceptable casualties needed to remain acceptable unlike Talia. However, Viper had no evidence Talia and done anything, and the other hunter had been away on her own mission- which was confirmed… still, Viper couldn't help her wandering thoughts.

….

Inside the warehouse, both archers had an arrow notched as they wandered the floor silently. There wasn't a single sign of life, and this building made little to no sense. There were large crates everywhere, but nothing that screamed out importance to Oliver.

Trusting his instinct, Malcolm figured they were currently alone and called over to Oliver, "See anything that the triad could be after?"

"Nothing," Oliver replied lowering his bow just a fraction.

"Felicity could have the wrong location."

"She doesn't," he snapped, and Malcolm knew better than to press the issue. "Whatever the triad wants is here." He glanced out over the numerous crates. "Somewhere," he whispered more to himself.

"Then let's open some of these up and see," Malcolm suggested, and although it meant dropping their bows, there wasn't a better idea to be had.

The first three crates were strange artifacts from a different time, and this caused Oliver to pause for thought. Malcolm was the one who spoke though, "This is a warehouse for black market items. I'd say all stolen and waiting for pick-up."

"So the triad is stealing something back for someone," Oliver summarized.

Felicity in his ear quickly added, _"There's a truck outside that I just noticed. It's at the loading docks, and doesn't exactly give off business district._"

"Which way Ms. Smoak?" Malcolm asked, and she directed them to the loading docks to where the truck had been waiting. Based on the disturbed floor and items, someone had been here recently enough to either load or unload something.

Notching an arrow, Oliver motioned for Malcolm to open it, and he kept his eyes peeled for any sort of ambush. He almost dropped his bow at the sight of something he never thought he'd see again; in his ear, Felicity gasped. A camera must have had just the right angle to see the markov device- completely rebuilt and ready to go.

Unable to help himself, Oliver spun on Malcolm, who had also noticed the device and rose his bow in turn. The two archers stood off against each other, but neither spoke. Betrayal shone in Oliver's eyes, and he couldn't believe how stupid he had been to fall into this trap. Malcolm, on the other end, was simply ready to defend himself if need be; he wanted to talk to Oliver but he doubted the Queen would listen.

"Well go on then," Ben, or better known as the Bronze Tiger, said as he came around the truck. "I'll kill the winner."

Felicity was apologizing profusely in Oliver's ear; the device had distracted her, and she hadn't seen the assassin's arrival. Oliver didn't pay her any heed though; he was too torn between the two men.

"It's not mine," Malcolm said slowly.

"But you'd take it and finish what you started," Oliver growled.

"Actually it belongs to a client," China stated stepping up next to Tiger. After her failed attempt against Moira, she had decided to go out and help Bronze with this pick-up. It was for another important client, and suddenly, she was happy she did. Now she could kill the Dark Archer for interfering, and finally end the Arrow. "And he wouldn't be very happy to lose out on his investment."

Malcolm seeing that they had bigger problems than just each other, loosened his bow and removed the arrow. He watched Oliver take in the scene of the Dark Archer leaving himself open for an arrow.

"There's nothing to finish," Malcolm stated, and Oliver frowned but moments later turned and shot the arrow at Tiger. The man blocked the shot with his claws and smiled at the sight of a fight. Malcolm wasted no time in notching another arrow and shooting at China, who simply rolled under the shot.

The four clashed; Oliver and Bronze Tiger fighting on the dock behind the truck, and Malcolm and China in front of the vehicle. China nailed Malcolm in the stomach with a kick, and he fell back against the grate of the truck. However her next attack, he predicted, grabbed her leg, and spun her into the passenger side door. He went to punch her, but she moved her head just in time. He ducked under her next kick and moved back.

"Now you're interfering in my business," she hissed.

Behind Malcolm, Oliver grinned. He did have a tendency to stop everything that the triad did, and this was included. His bow clashed against the claws, but carbon fiber bow held. Pushing back, Oliver forced Ben to break his defense, and with that, the archer moved in and got in three solid hits. The assassin fell back just as China was thrown up onto the deck as well. She rolled in time to miss the elbow but not in time to miss Oliver kicking out her feet when she went to stand again.

Above them all, Viper growled. She had wanted to stay out of the fight, but when Talia had confirmation of what was in the truck, the other hunter had ordered her into the fray. For the moment, Viper held back though. She wasn't about to have four turn on her; she figured she'd let them each exhaust the other then complete her job. However, it was hard to stay an arrow when she saw she had the perfect shot at Merlyn. He still had to suffer, but she began to calculate how easy it would be for her to take him in now. In her ear, Talia continued to order her, and she sighed. Tonight wasn't the night then.

It was then the hunter noticed the empty cab, and deciding that was the quickest way, she silently jumped down and made her way to the front of the truck. She could easily hotwire this thing, but thankfully, the keys were still in the ignition. She wondered what their faces would look like when the truck drove off.

All four- Malcolm, Oliver, China, and Ben- shared a look of confusion when the truck started up then began to drive away. It was obvious that the triad leader and hired assassin hadn't been expecting that, and when they ran away, Malcolm and Oliver went to pursue.

"I don't think trucks drive themselves," Oliver said.

"Agreed," Malcolm stated.

"Felicity, I want to know who's in that truck," he stated as he ran around the building back to his bike. Raising his bow, he did put on explosive arrow into the door. The cops would arrive and find all the stolen items. It was the least he could do.

_"Trying_," Felicity said, a hint of panic in her voice. _"Oliver, I can't find the truck. It's vanished."_

"What do you mean vanished?" he asked. Malcolm had finally gotten his own bike, so they were no longer sharing… thankfully.

_"Someone knew the traffic system, and they aren't on any streets with cameras. I can't find them_," she explained.

"Alright, okay," he said hoping to calm her. He wasn't angry with her, just the fact the markov device was now out in the city. "We need to get after triad. We need to figure out who hired them." At that moment, Oliver's phone went off, and he checked to see Thea had sent him an urgent text about Roy waking up. "I have to go," he said as he showed the phone to Malcolm.

"That's my daughter," he growled. "I'm going too."

Oliver shook his head. "I need you to go after them," he ordered. "Felicity will help you follow them. I have more experience dealing with someone on mirakuru." He pulled on his helmet quickly. "Plus, you're more likely to kill him then to try and talk him down."

To that, Malcolm grumbled but acquiesced. Oliver wasn't entirely comfortable with Malcolm on his own and that device now in the city, so he dropped a tracker on the other's man bike. Felicity would be able to keep an eye on him, and if he didn't stay in contact, Oliver would know to rush back out… what a night it seemed.

…

Sara ran into the Foundry; she hadn't even stopped for her phone. She needed to find Oliver now, but when she found the mostly empty Foundry, her heart stopped. She rushed to Felicity. "Where's Oliver?" she asked as her eyes trailed to see the traffic cameras following an archer, but she recognized the dark leathers of the League. "Where is he?

Felicity glanced up, annoyance on her face until she noticed Sara's frightened one. "What's wrong?" she asked standing.

"Where's Oliver?" she repeated once more. "I need to talk to him now."

"He went to the hospital to see his sister," Felicity explained. "Roy was apparently waking up."

"Get him back here now. Malcolm and Diggle too," Sara ordered.

"I can't," Felicity sighed. "That markov device?" she said to which Sara showed recognition. "It's in the city right now, and Malcolm is following the triad to figure out who hired them for both jobs. They need to be out there."

"Oliver will die."

That caught Felicity's attention, and her face fell as she tried to wrap her mind around such an occurrence.

"Get him back here," Sara said again, and with that Felicity reached to try and comm Oliver. Malcolm answered, but both Diggle and Oliver didn't.

…..

A block from the hospital, he switched his clothes curtesy of the bag he liked to carry on his bike. He stuffed his arrow gear inside and left a text for Diggle to come pick up both his bike and equipment if need be. Once done, he rushed to the hospital doors, just in time to receive another text.

_What did I teach you about being predictable?_ It read

Oliver froze in his spot and read the text again. He heard someone chuckling behind him, and he turned around, eyes wide.

"Hey kid," Slade greeted, just in time for someone to snatch Oliver from behind and shove a chloroform rag across his mouth. He struggled with everything he had until he saw darkness approaching. He couldn't fall unconscious, not here, not with Slade….

The mercenary watched Oliver collapse to the ground, eyes shut and breathing even. "It's good seeing you again." He nodded to his men, and they tossed Oliver in with both his bratty sister and mom.

**Note:** Jeesh I thought this would never end. So markov device turned out completely different from the show; it happens. But that will bleed over into the next chapter- which will be an interlude even with what's going on. I'm sure some of you have an idea.


	40. Interlude: Not a Hero

**Chapter 40**

Diggle's head pounded fiercely, and he swayed a bit on his feet; however, this didn't stop him from rushing back to the Foundry. Someone had knocked him unconscious, and during that time, they had taken Mrs. Queen. He had to get back and find a way to track her on top of warning Oliver. His friend would want to know ASAP.

What Diggle didn't expect when he arrived was a bit of a shouting match between Sara and Malcolm. Oliver was nowhere in sight, and Felicity looked unsure on whether she should intervene. Digg's head screamed in protest at the loudness, but he forced himself deeper into the Foundry. In his daze, he didn't pick up everything they were yelling about, but he could hear a few key words- Slade, Oliver, family, dead. The last word worried him.

"What do you mean dead?" Digg asked causing both Sara and Malcolm to stop.

"Digg!" Felicity cried jumping to her feet and helping him to a seat. She gingerly touched his head, and her hand came away with blood. She quickly grabbed the first-aid kit and worked to try and staunch the oozing blood. "We were worried when you didn't answer your comm."

"What happened?" Sara asked, abruptly taking charge. Malcolm looked less than pleased with this turn of events, but he held himself in check.

"Not entirely sure," he admitted. "But I was hit hard over the head. Ow." He hissed as Felicity used some rubbing alcohol to disinfect the wound.

"Sorry," she frowned before going back to work.

"When I came to, Mrs. Queen was missing," he sighed. "Triad?"

"Ms. Lance doesn't seem to think so," Malcolm said. He might not be at the center of this show, but he refused to be completely ignored. "She believes this has something to do with a man called Slade Wilson."

"Who?" Digg asked. The name tingled at the back of his memory, and he wondered where he had heard it before.

Sara hesitated, and it was out of respect to Oliver. The island was taboo to talk about, and based on the reactions around her, Oliver hadn't divulged this information yet. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be the one to do it, or if Oliver would appreciate it. This in mind, she decided to tread carefully on what she said next. "He's from the island, and he will kill Oliver."

"Why haven't we heard about him before this?" Felicity asked, more anger than terror now in her voice. She was frustrated with the idea that perhaps Oliver had known about this man but hadn't warn any of them. He still hadn't talked in detail about the island, but she thought that he trusted them enough to at least tell them about a potential enemy.

"He's supposed to be dead!" Sara said, her fists clenched at her side. "He shouldn't be alive." She caught Malcolm's calculating gaze, and she could tell what was on his mind. She wasn't about to confirm for him though that Oliver had been the one to do the deed, albeit apparently not completely. "We need to find Oliver, now."

Felicity nodded and turned towards her computer with the intention of using Oliver's tracker now instead of his comm. Seconds later though, she was muttering, "No, no, no, no." Her lips pursed, and she stared at the screen in a mix of shock and fear. "His tracker just disappeared. I'm trying to get it back, but…" She trailed off and shook his head. "It's gone."

"Where was his last known location?" Sara asked.

"The hospital," Felicity said, her eyes trailing to Malcolm. He kept his emotions close to the chest, but it was apparent that he was now worried about his daughter. Without being asked to, Felicity began to pull up the security cameras in the hospital. Due to Roy's nature, there was one located in his room, and when she went to look, she discovered Thea was nowhere to be seen. "Diggle, call the hospital."

Digg didn't need to be told the reason why, and he quickly dialed them up. With Moira's abduction, he was easily able to convince a nurse to try and track Thea, but it soon became apparent that she was too missing.

"Slade has us running in circles," Sara growled, "while he took them all." She shuddered to think what Slade might do to Oliver, but she tried to push it to the back of her mind. They had to find them. "Check this address," she said, handing over the numbers to Slade's main base. It was a long shot, but they had nothing else to go on.

Away and shunned from the group, Malcolm stood and attempted to calm. He wouldn't be able to track this Slade without some sort of control, but as each minute passed with no luck on finding his daughter or the Queens, he found it slipping faster and faster away. Until finally, he kicked over a table. The other three in the room startled for a moment, but they quickly went back to work. It wasn't the first time a table had been kicked over, and they could understand the frustration. Each of them desperately wanted to find the Queens.

….

Oliver was the first to wake, and when he saw his sister and mother, he found his heart in his throat. For a moment, he tried to convince him that this was in no way Slade; it was impossible. Oliver remembered driving the arrow into the man's eye, but when he looked to the other side of the limo, there was sitting the man with an eye patch.

"Good to see you're awake kid," Slade spoke, and the voice of his former mentor sent shivers down Oliver's spine.

"Slade," Oliver said, his voice hoarse from being drugged. He licked his parched lips and began to try at his bindings. His hands and feet were effectively bound though; Slade had thought this through.

"Glad to see you remember me," he said, a small smile playing at his lips. The sight of a bound Oliver, barely concealed terror, thrilled Slade to no end.

"Whatever you're planning," Oliver continued, "don't." In a situation where both his mother and sister were in danger, the Arrow was not above begging. "This is between us, not them."

Slade's smile grew, and amusement shone in his eye. "I made you a promise kid. Don't tell me you've forgotten that."

By the way Oliver's head hung at those words, he obviously hadn't. Beside him, his mother and sister started groaning. If possible, his heart rate went even higher, and he struggled more visibly with his bonds.

"I will admit, I hadn't planned on doing it this way," Slade explained with a wave of his hand. "Either the triad would kill your mother or she'd live and know your secret. I hadn't counted on her accepting it so easily, so…" He waved his hand again just as the car lurched to a stop. "Here we are Oliver."

The archer wasn't given a chance to argue more when the doors opened, and he was dragged out along with his family. Moira and Thea's hands were only bound, Oliver noted; if he could get closer to them, he could perhaps free them at the very least. They could run, and Oliver had to pray that Slade would satisfied with just him.

Thea and Moira now coherent were tossed to the ground next to Oliver. He heard his sister cry his name, but he tried to focus on the man in front of them. Slade looked down at the trio with a satisfied smile; five years, he had been waiting for this moment. He had spent so much time in Starling working, planning, and eventually teaming up with Talia. It was finally coming to fruition.

"Slade don't do this," Oliver tried again.

"I wasn't there, but is this how it was kid? Is this how you helped kill her?" Slade asked, and Moira's eyes widened at the interaction. She remembered a few days how this man had sit with her at lunch, and she came to a stark realization that he had been simply feeling the field. This was no friend of Oliver's, quite the opposite if the situation was anything to go by.

"That's not how it happened," Oliver attempted, but he knew it wouldn't work. Slade hadn't listened five years ago, and it seemed time had just helped to solidify the man's hate of the archer. "I didn't have a choice."

"You could have chosen her!" Slade snarled, and Oliver immediately regretted his wording. When he had jumped in front of Sara, he hadn't been thinking; he had hoped Ivo would shoot him. It never crossed his mind that the man would then turn the gun on Shado; the nightmare of that night played over and over in his sleep almost every night.

"You're from the island," Moira stated directly; she barely casted a glance in Oliver's direction. She could practically feel the regret pouring from her son from here, and she wondered what had happened there that would have caused this intense anger. Her mind drifted to when Oliver first returned, and how the doctor had mentioned his scars… she felt terrible; she had ignored that fact and believed Oliver when he had said he was alone. She had been foolish, and she had craved having a normal whole family again that she hadn't stopped to consider what the scars actually meant. Suddenly him being the vigilante really wasn't that farfetched. The island had changed her son immensely, and she felt terrible for the part she had played in that. Now, she could try and make up for it though; she wouldn't let this man hurt either of her children.

Slade's smile answered Moira's question, and he turned his attention back to Oliver. "Now I'm giving you the same choice. Your mother or your sister?"

"No!" Oliver growled. While bound, he still lunged with no success. Near him, Thea interpreted what this all meant, and silent tears began to roll down her face. "Don't hurt either of them. Kill me."

"Ollie no!" Thea sobbed. "Mom," she said weakly a moment later. Thea couldn't understand how they ended up here; her mother's words had yet to register. All Thea could grasp was this madman was going to kill one of them, and her brother was serving himself up. For once, her eyes went to the nearby woods, and she begged the universe to let Malcolm show up. If there was ever a time she wanted her father, this was it.

"Slade, you want me," Oliver continued. "Kill me and leave them alone."

Mr. Wilson chuckled and shook his head. "You don't get out of this that easy kid. You're not a hero. You had your chance to die for her. You don't get that choice here. Now pick!"

Oliver couldn't. Moira could read it on his face, and she was glad for it. She didn't want this on her son's conscious; he already had enough weighing him down. She wasn't going to let him have this as well. Standing, Moira presented herself. "You will not harm my children," she stated boldly. Behind her, she could hear Thea begging. "You will kill me," she continued, and Slade kept the smile from his face.

This was playing out exactly as he thought it would; a mother was programmed to protect her children. "You have more honor than your son, Mrs. Queen," Slade said, and he didn't waste any time in pushing his sword through her heart. It would be a quick death for her, unlike Oliver. He watched as absolute grief took over the younger archer and the girl.

Thea began to chant "no" over and over while she crawled over. "I'm sorry," she said to the corpse of her mother. "Please Mom, I'm sorry. Come back, I'm sorry." She sobbed into her mother's shoulder, and Oliver just sat in the dirt, shock pouring over him preventing him from doing or feeling anything.

…..

They were found a few hours later by police due to an anonymous phone call. Moira's death was sprayed over the news, and both Thea and Oliver shut themselves away. Sara, Diggle, and Felicity didn't see or hear anything from Oliver. He had locked himself in and was refusing to see anyone. Each could understand, so they stepped back. Sara found it in her to work with Malcolm to hunt down the triad members in an unsuccessful bid to find the markov device.

It wasn't until Oliver didn't even show at his mother's funeral that they all began to worry. Felicity had attempted to track him with no luck. Traffic cams, bank account information, credit cards… nothing was showing up. "I can't," she had whispered to Digg.

"If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be," he had replied then.

They were right to some degree; if Oliver wanted to stay hidden, he would. Unless of course, someone happen to know where he could be bunkering down at which Malcolm did. The Dark Archer had stayed away, hoping that after some time the young man would reappear, but once Oliver had avoided Moira's funeral, Malcolm knew he had to step in. Thea had been crushed without her brother there, and she was barely holding it together. More than anything, he wanted to go see her and try and console her…

_"You weren't there!" Thea had screamed mere hours before the funeral began. Both her and Malcolm stood in her room. He faced a corner and allowed her to scream as much as she needed. "The one time I needed you and you weren't there!"_

_ "Thea," he had began, but she quickly interrupted him._

_ "Go, just go," she had sobbed. "Please go."_

_ "If that's what you want," he had whispered before slipping out her window as silently as he had entered. He would give her space, but if need be, he'd be back. For now, he had another Queen to check up on._

That had been a few hours ago, and now he was here at Oliver's other base of operations. The Dark Archer didn't enter quietly here; he wasn't sure what to expect from the younger archer. The last thing Merlyn wanted to do was surprise the young man enough so that he might get shot by an arrow.

Coming around a corner, Malcolm saw Oliver was sitting in against a pillar, eyes closed but obviously aware. Even from this distance, Mr. Merlyn recognized the sight of someone who was broken. He began to wonder if this was the right choice, but he had to at least try.

"How'd you find me?" Oliver muttered, his voice hoarse from screaming or crying or maybe even both.

"I've been here before," Malcolm explained, stepping forward now that he had been acknowledged. Without being asked to, he moved to Oliver's side and took a similar seat against the pillar. Both men were dressed business casual and neither had their bows. "Your mother," he began before hesitating, "was a good woman."

"You were going to kill her," Oliver snorted.

"Only because I was angry," he sighed. "But I respected her." That was the truth of it; he had cared deeply for Moira, and it pained him to know she was now gone… just like Tommy, just like Rebecca.

Malcolm looked over the sullen younger man and shared his pain. The Dark Archer continued with, "She loved you and Thea. She died to protect you." To that, Oliver frowned and didn't respond. He was beginning to shut down again, and Malcolm wasn't about to let that happen. "Your friends are worried. They thought perhaps Slade had returned to finish the job."

Oliver choked out a laugh. "He won't kill me. Not yet."

Malcolm turned and looked at the younger archer, whose eyes had finally opened. They were red and blood shot, with dried tear tracks running down his face. Sadness still reigned his face, but there was another emotion there that Malcolm recognized clearly from his own younger days- hopelessness. The younger archer was on the verge of giving up and rolling over, and the Dark Archer refused to let such an occurrence happen.

"Oliver," Malcolm said softly. He wanted to ask but he didn't want to pry either.

"On the island, we were friends, brothers even," the archer explained. "He trained me as did another woman. I couldn't save her, and he blames me."

Malcolm understood that feeling completely. He couldn't save Rebecca, and for a while he had blamed himself then he had turned his anger on the people in the Glades… Now though with his son dead and his daughter as far from him as emotionally possible, he had begun to reconsider that this was on his shoulders.

"It's my fault she's dead," he continued with a whisper. Malcolm wasn't entirely sure what she Oliver was referring to. "I couldn't save Shado, and I couldn't save my own mother." The older archer went to interrupt, but Ollie went right on continuing and Merlyn let him. This was something Ollie obviously needed off his chest. "What kind of hero am I if I can't even do that?" Oliver lowered his head with a combination of guilt and grief.

"Oliver," Malcolm said clearly seeing the war inside the young man. "It wasn't your fault." He doubted the words actually made it through to the young man, but he felt they needed to be said.

"Slade made me promise years ago, and I ignored it," he argued weakly. "He said he'd take everything and everyone I love away from me. Make me as alone as him, and then and only then, he would kill me."

"You're not alone," the Dark Archer said, and he watched Oliver glance towards him incredulous. "You have Sara, Diggle, your sister, and Felicity. They're all with you on this."

Oliver chuckled, "And you?" It was a statement said in anger and sarcasm, but Malcolm ignored the undertones of it and smiled.

"As am I," he nodded. "I'll help you find this Slade and end him." It went unsaid that a large part of Malcolm wanted to do this to also protect Thea. He despised how this man had touched his daughter and threatened her.

"How?" Oliver asked. "He has the mirakuru in him, and I can't beat him."

Unable to help himself, Malcolm barked out a laugh. This caught Oliver's attention, and he raised an eyebrow at Merlyn's outburst. "I knew this young man," Malcolm began, "that did everything he could to get in my way, stop my plans for trying to save this city. He didn't care that I had almost killed him twice." Oliver's frown deepened. "He… You stopped me that night. You faced me even when you knew I'd probably kill you. Where's that part of you again?"

"You still destroyed half the Glades," Oliver muttered.

"And you still beat me," Malcolm retorted with a small scowl. He had yet to accept how that had happened, but he could at least respect the younger archer for it now.

"I'm not a hero," he whispered, head still hung.

"That's not what young Ms. Smoak says and believes," he said looking at Oliver. "Go and ask her if you don't trust me yet." Malcolm stood and offered Oliver his hand. "You have friends Oliver. Don't push them away as I did all those years ago. Be a better man than I was."

Oliver stared at the offering for a moment before he reached out and grasped Malcom's hand. The elder archer pulled Ollie to his feet. Something passed between the two; it went unsaid, and these moments shared would never be spoke of again. However nonetheless, Oliver nodded and whispered a quiet thank you to Malcolm as he turned to leave. They didn't agree on much, but they still held respect for one another. And thus, they would listen to the other.

…..

Felicity had spent another unsuccessful day trying to find her archer, but there wasn't a trace of him. While she had given up for the night, she had every intention of returning to the Foundry tomorrow, even if she had to tell Isabel to shove it where the sun don't shine, and trying again. It terrified her to think that perhaps Slade had returned to finish the job, and now, she was just looking for a dead body… she couldn't believe that, but her thoughts betrayed her at numerous times.

Still dressed in her funeral garb, Felicity turned to her stove to heat up a teapot before turning towards her bedroom to unzip her dress. A knock at the door stalled her efforts though, and she couldn't imagine who would be here at this time of night and in this weather. It was a monsoon outside currently, and the rain looked like it had little intention of letting up.

"If you're here to rob me," Felicity shouted through the door, "then… then I wouldn't. I have a knife!"

"Felicity, would you please open up?" Oliver's voice drifted through the door, and she wasted no time throwing it open and staring at the soaked to the bone archer. She didn't hesitate to throw her arms around him even as the water drenched her dress.

"Oh?" she said finally pulling away from the stiff Oliver. "You've gotten me all wet." There was a pause, then the blush filled her face, but she didn't try to explain herself.

"Sorry," he muttered before eyeing her. "Are you going to invite me in or leave me standing in the doorway?" His usual playful tone felt flat, and Felicity felt her heart tug for him.

"Yeah, oops," she nervously said before stepping aside and letting him enter. The way Oliver walked spoke of a man still hurting, and she longed to reach out. "Where have you been?" she asked. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"I needed…" he started before sighing. His shoulders shook, and Felicity moved to face him to see his head hung and eyes closed. "It doesn't matter. This was a mistake. I'm sorry I should go."

"No," Felicity cried grabbing his arm as he went to turn. "You don't need to go… stay." Her voice was part commanding and part pleading, but she watched as he nodded but continued to just stand there. "Are you okay?" she finally asked, and she watched as a chuckle rumbled through him. "Yeah, you're right. Stupid question. Of course, you're not." Her head tipped down to the floor in embarrassment.

"Felicity," Oliver said breathlessly, and this stopped her dead in her tracks. She looked up to see Oliver watching her intently, and she froze under the intensity. She wasn't sure what took over her, but she didn't stop it as she reached out and touched the back of his neck. His eyes fluttered close at the contact, but when she went to pull away, Oliver snatched her wrist and pulled her flush against him. They both froze now, and their gazes met, a question in Oliver's eyes.

"Whatever you need Oliver," Felicity smiled. "I'm your girl."

"Yes you are," he nodded before he reached behind her head and pulled their lips together. This was unlike the other times where they had been stolen kisses or there was uncertainty behind what they were doing. Now, it was just passion, and Felicity found herself reaching up and replacing her hand on his neck to keep him taut against her.

The kiss deepened, and they pulled away just long enough for Oliver to rest his head on her shoulder. Felicity licked her lips and found that his taste remained there, and she wanted nothing more than to continue what they were doing. However she knew they would soon enough, and that Oliver just needed a moment.

Whatever he needed, she'd do everything she could to help.

**Note:** Phew an emotional rollarcoaster. I'm sorry about Moira to those hoping she might live through this story. Her death has been planned since chapter 1, and it's because I feel her death is extremely important to Oliver's character growth. She was his mother and she had accepted him; he could trust her with his darkest secret and that secret took her away from him.

I think this has been one of my favorite if not fave to write. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter. As for what's next- fallout between Oliver and Felicity with some 'what now' thrown in. I considered it, and I decided that while I could turn this into an M rated fic, I WILL be keeping it at T. I am tempted to do a series of one-shots that coincide this story later (that would be M) and include some missing scenes or expanded scenes.

Thank you to all you reviewers too. You guys make writing this so much fun. Special thanks to Changingdestiny40 who two chapters ago gave me all the info for the markov episode as I had forgotten it. Thanks to everyone who stuck around for this; I hope it continues to live up to your expectations


	41. What Now

**Chapter 41**

For the first time since returning from the island, Oliver slept without a single nightmare plaguing his dreams. He woke feeling refreshed and calm, and unable to decide why suddenly he had been able to have a dreamless slumber.

The feel of sheets not his own and the scent of the room keyed him into the fact he was not at the mansion, and he felt every muscle in his body tense. Last night was a bit hazy, and his brain muddled with sleep could not interpret the memory of last night.

"I brought coffee," Felicity said from the doorway. She stayed where she was and kept out of arm's reach as Oliver had warned her to do last night. He had been very specific that she not wake him or approach soon after he had come to; now, she could see why. Even from here, she could tell he was confused and ready to attack. He wouldn't even know what he was doing until she was flat on her back.

Last night came flooding back to Ollie with the sound of Felicity's voice. A bit more relaxed, he sat up and considered the blonde in the doorway. She was smiling, albeit timidly, and he recalled warning her to avoid him if he had a nightmare or come morning not to wake him. The fact she listened made the archer happy; the last thing he would want would be to hurt her.

Smiling in response, as if he hadn't been ready to snap her neck moments earlier, he held out his hand for the coffee, still in bed. Unlike Felicity, he wasn't entirely dressed, and he couldn't read her face to see if she regretted what happened last night. Oliver wasn't even sure what to think.

After Malcolm's visit, Oliver had known only one place he wanted to go, and while he had hesitated, he had ended up here nonetheless. When he kissed her, he had just wanted to feel something other than the despair and failure he had caged up inside himself. No one else would have been able to make him feel something, to remind him of who he was, and he hoped she didn't regret what transpired. To Oliver, this wasn't something he meant to be one off, to be a way to overcome what happened to his mother. He needed Felicity in his life, and after all this time, he believed he was ready to admit it.

Seeing that Oliver had relaxed, Felicity approached and handed him a small cup. It wasn't as good as the store; her coffee maker was a bit old and needed to be trashed. Today though, she was thankful she still had it. "Don't get use to this," Felicity teased as she came to sit on the edge of the bed, trying to keep her eyes anyway but on Oliver's bare chest.

"You bringing me coffee?" he asked. "Never." Somehow any awkward tension in the room melted away with their usual teasing. He took a long sip and muttered, "You should just serve this to anyone who asks for coffee."

"Hmm?" Felicity made a sound of confusion and cocked her head.

"They'd never ask again," he continued, grimacing with the taste. He watched in fascination as Felicity downed the entire cup without hesitation, and he shuddered with the thought of that taste in his mouth. Instead, he set his far away on the nightstand.

"It's not that terrible," she said once she finished her cup; however, a few seconds later, her own face scrunched up as the full taste hit her. "Alright, it's that terrible. My coffee maker is a bit crusty…"

"Crusty?" Oliver repeated, unsure of that word choice.

Felicity frowned and nodded. "Maybe not the best word to use."

"No… probably not," he stated, and the room fell silent again. He regarded Felicity, and he couldn't help but let his eyes trail her form. She was dressed in a fuzzy robe with fuzzy slippers, and her hair was, for once, not pulled back. Instead, it looked like she had just gotten out of bed, and he loved it. Leaning forward, he reached out and brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Felicity," he murmured, and he watched as her eyes snapped to his. Her lip was between her teeth, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her right then. However first, he needed to know that she didn't regret this; he wasn't about to push her in a way she didn't feel comfortable. "Is this okay?"

Felicity blinked the confusion from her face. "Is what okay?" she squeaked. "I'll just… go… You can get dressed, and then, I'm sure the rest of the team will want to see you. Since, you know, they think that maybe you died. Well not actually died, but they're worried. I was worried. I'm going to shut up now." She finished her ramble and quickly stood.

Oliver, on the other hand, wasn't about to let her get away that easily. He stood, dressed at the very least in his boxers, and slipped on his jeans. He snatched his shirt as he followed her from the bedroom. She was back at the "crusty" coffee maker, and she was staring a hole into it. Staring at the machine, he suddenly did understand her word choice.

"Felicity," he repeated, standing behind her but not touching. He wasn't about to trap her. "I'm sorry if… I've made you uncomfortable."

"You didn't," she whispered.

"Then why don't you turn around?" he asked, wanting to see her face, and at first, she resisted his request but eventually sighed and faced him. Her face was neutral, but inside, she was anything but calm. "Look whatever I did do…"

"You didn't do anything," she huffed.

"Then what's wrong?" he frowned.

Felicity was worried, simply put. She didn't want to relay that it was hard to imagine Oliver Queen in her apartment, half dressed, and while she only knew him after the island, she had heard the tales. She remembered Isabel, so it was hard to think Oliver wasn't over the one night stands. She didn't want to be one of those, but last night, she had promised herself that whatever he needed she'd help him with. He deserved that much, but Felicity felt selfish for wanting more.

Oliver might not have always been good at relationships, actually he knew that he usually failed in that department, but he could read what went across Felicity's face. He understood the fear, and he wasn't insulted that in this moment she was hesitant that he was still pre-island in this regard. For other girls, he might be, but for Felicity to him, she always deserved more.

Reaching out once more, he pulled her against him again, but this time, he didn't lean down to kiss her. He kept his face an inch from hers, and he allowed her the choice. If this wasn't what she wanted, he'd let her go, and they'd never speak of this night again. He waited, and he found this was the most nervous he had ever been.

In the span of five seconds, everything changed as Felicity found it in herself to lean up and kiss Oliver this time. They both ignored the taste of the coffee, and instead enjoyed the taste of the other person. The archer had his IT girl, and he wasn't about to let her go.

Thirty minutes later once they both were showered and dressed, they sat at the dining table or lack thereof. Oliver began to wonder what Felicity exactly did with her paycheck; as EA, she made enough that a table wouldn't be that hard to splurge on. Actually looking around, Oliver realized she didn't have a lot of real furniture; it reminded him a bit of a college dorm with the décor.

"So…" Felicity began. "What now?"

"That depends," Oliver said. "Do you mean with us or with Slade?"

Felicity blushed deeply. "I think we can agree that we might have talked enough about us today."

"I don't remember much talking," he responded before stumbling himself. Sometimes, he reverted to his old ways without meaning to. Quickly, he corrected, "Not that I missed the talking. But I do like hearing you talk. Especially about your computer… stuff... I mean… crap… This is how you feel, huh?" He was usually confident, but now sitting and actually realizing this was Felicity across from him, he was stuck trying to avoid pretending to be a playboy and tripping over being himself. "Okay Slade," he added before Felicity could respond, but he could see the small smile on her lips.

Felicity didn't voice how sorry she was about his mother; instead, she reached over and squeezed Oliver's hand. She was sure he was tired of people being apologetic to him for something they had no control of, and she was certain that he was angry with himself for what had happened.

"This… all of this," Oliver sighed. "Is my fault." It was something he needed to say to someone other than Malcolm. Ollie needed to talk to someone he trusted, life and death. "I knew Slade from the island." Felicity let him talk without interruptions. "We were close, but he felt I chose Sara over the woman he loved. She died and Sara didn't, and he blamed me for it." He sighed deeply as the memory washed over him, but he felt grounded when Felicity squeezed his hand again. Thankful, he continued, "We had saved Slade's life prior to that by injecting him with mirakuru, and after her death, we fought. It was by… pure chance… that I beat him in that state."

"I don't understand," Felicity finally said. "But usually when you beat people prior to this year, you sort of…" She made a gesture with her thumb across her neck. The body count from the year prior had been rather large.

"I did kill him!" he snapped. "At least I thought I did." He shook his head and lowered his gaze to the table. "I had a choice though."

"Oliver…"

"I had the cure Felicity," he explained. "I had the chance to fix this, all of this. Instead, I killed him. I drove an arrow through his eye." He watched as Felicity's eyes widened with that admission; she visibly gulped. "If I had just…"

"Just nothing," Felicity argued. "This isn't your fault. You didn't kill your mother. He did, and even without the mirakuru, are you certain he wouldn't have done all of this anyway?" Of course, she didn't realize that mirakuru caused insanity, but she did know that the loss of a loved one can easily drive people over the edge. Malcolm Merlyn was a prime example of that.

"No but…"

"No," Felicity interrupted. "This isn't your fault." She smiled when she caught his eye, and she watched as he nodded. He obviously needed to hear it, and she'd keep telling him until he believed it because she did. She didn't care what happened between these two prior; all she saw was the now, and Slade chose to do this. Oliver hadn't forced the other man's hand… "I've already made a call to a few friends in central city."

Oliver tried to hide his dislike of Central City, but he was relatively sure he failed in that. It wasn't that he didn't like Barry; the forensic scientist was a good kid. But he had liked Felicity too, and Oliver wasn't thrilled by that. Then again last he heard, Barry was in a coma, so Oliver wasn't sure how much competition an unconscious guy could actually be.

"They've received some of Roy's blood," Felicity kept going, unaware of what Oliver was thinking. "They think they can reverse engineer a cure."

Oliver nodded, "If we have that… we can stop Slade and whatever he is planning."

"What… is he planning?"

"He promised me that he'd take away everything I love," Oliver explained, his eyes trailing to Felicity's face. He hoped he hadn't just made her a target…

**Note:** Well not much plot here, but an important chapter nonetheless. So yes Oliver and Felicity want to try this, but they still have a lot to overcome- mostly awkwardness. Felicity is just naturally like that, and Oliver is a complete mess nowadays with girls. This should be fun to write.  
Anyway, next chapter we should catch up with the hunters and their new toy. Oliver gets back to his team, and they find a lot of new truths from Sara…

So I've had one request to add Helena into the story- I can do that-, so I'm thinking we need to have a real Birds of Prey chapter/arc. That will be upcoming then, and I am planning on Nyssa returning… because she's terrible at listening to her sister :P.  
Last but not least (always so many notes) this story is going to get a bit darker in this arc. Talia is a bit sadistic, so I apologize in advance and here is a warning in advance. I'll put warnings at the top of chapters if they're a bit more violent then usual as well.


	42. Personal

**Note: **I posted two chapters today! Go back and check that you've read the prior chapter!

**Chapter 42**

Arriving at the Foundry, Oliver was a bit shocked at the state of things. He wasn't sure how he should feel to see Malcolm and Diggle sparring off, but based on how each man stood, Oliver could tell that this simply training. They weren't fighting to kill each other, and that almost made Ollie stop dead in his tracks. Felicity, on the other hand, kept going, and it was obvious that she had seen this before.

Diggle slammed into the mat, but before long, Malcolm was pulling the other man back to his feet. The Dark Archer moved away and grabbed a long drink of water, and he grinned when he saw Diggle was contemplating attacking him nonetheless. The archer had done that multiple times, but his gaze soon drifted past Mr. Diggle and to the stairs. He pointed out Oliver's arrival to Digg, and their fight ended.

"Hey," John said as Oliver found it in him to actually descend fully into the Foundry. "Glad you're back." He also avoided asking the big 'are you okay?' There was no point; Digg could see it on Oliver's face.

Oliver nodded, but he didn't respond directly to his friend; instead, he headed towards Sara. She was sitting at the computer, which she quickly vacated when Felicity approached. "What have we got?" he asked.

"We've been tracking the Triad," Sara explained. "We're sure they don't have the markov device."

"Then who does?" Ollie said rubbing a hand over his weary face. Sara shrugged, but her face screamed the answer. "You think Slade does."

To this, she nodded and sighed. "We need to get ahead of him, Ollie. He's stayed quiet the last few days, but he won't for long."

"At least we know who's been supplying the mirakuru now," Felicity said, trying to be helpful, but her comment fell flat. They did know, but that didn't answer who was the man in the mask. Oliver knew that Slade wouldn't wear something like that, so that meant the former ASIS had another partner that they didn't know about.

"Sara, perhaps you should tell Oliver what else you discovered?" Malcolm suggested once he joined the group. He didn't look as though he had just spent the last part of the hour practicing with Digg or shooting his bow. With Oliver indisposed, there hadn't been much to do during the day, but Malcolm was gratified to see Oliver had taken his advice. He had little doubt as to why Felicity and the younger archer had arrived together.

"I found Slade's base," Sara explained; she decided to leave off how she had found it prior to Moira's death. While she had tried to warn Oliver, she wasn't sure if he would see it that way. Unless asked directly about the timeline, she had no intention of divulging that small piece of information.

"He still there?" Oliver growled, and he began to consider how difficult it would be to drop in on his old mentor. He felt a presence nearby, and he glanced to see Malcolm had moved closer. Their gazes met, and Ollie could read the question there 'are we going?', but the emerald archer knew that going would be suicide. As long as Slade had mirakuru in his system, it wasn't safe to approach without more information.

"Ollie," Sara said hesitantly. Felicity glanced over in worry, but when their gazes met, she watched as the anger faded from Oliver's face. He was far from calm, but he was at least grounded again.

"What did you find out?" he asked, changing the subject.

Felicity swerved to the side, and a composite of information on Isabel was on the screen. At first, he wasn't sure what to think of what he was seeing. Slade was their concern at the moment, not what Isabel was doing to try and take over Queen Consolidated again.

"I saw Isabel conversing with Slade," Sara explained. "And I don't mean an accidental conversation. She was at his base."

"You think she's working with Slade directly," Oliver summarized. It would be ingenious; something he would have never saw coming. "Why?"

"We hoped you would know," Digg stated leaning against the table.

"There's nothing in her history that directly ties her to you," Felicity explained. "I've checked every record." She sighed audibly as if the reason was staring her right in the face and she just couldn't see it.

"I've never met her prior to this," Ollie said with a frown.

Malcolm realized something that he hadn't noticed before. Staring at Isabel's picture brought forth a memory, he had long since buried since the death of his own best friend. "Did you check Robert's?" He caught Oliver's gaze. "His father… I've never worked with her directly myself, but now that I'm looking at her, she is familiar." It was dangerous to bring up Robert; the younger archer hadn't forgotten that Malcolm was responsible for his father's death, but the Merlyn was certain he had seen her once at a hotel… where he and Robert had been staying for a work meeting… Robert and Isabel had seemed too cozy, but Malcolm hadn't paid it much attention until now.

Felicity at first didn't respond, but when Oliver stopped glaring at Malcolm, he gave her a small nod. She returned to the computer and went back into the Queen history, but this time, she refined her search to Robert. To her surprise, she found a few web articles… actually more than a few where both Isabel and Robert were pictured. It was also tied to articles where based on a quick skim, Isabel would have no reason to be written about and thus be in the picture. Most of the pictures she wasn't directly next to Robert, but there were a few. She pulled those up, and she saw Ollie's gaze narrow.

Knowing this probably still wasn't the best time, but it needed to be said, Malcolm spoke up, "Your father wasn't the most faithful of husbands."

"You saw them together?" Ollie asked wanting to be certain before he condemned his father's memory more than he already had.

"Once," the Dark Archer confirmed. "I, myself, wasn't sure at the time, but considering her current actions…"

"That still doesn't address why she's helping Slade," Diggle pointed out. "There's only a connection."

Malcolm decided to just come clean now and hope he was right. He explained how there was one time Robert had mentioned that he was going to leave Moira for another woman; Malcolm had kept it to himself because he hadn't wanted to get involved. However, it never happened, and when Mr. Merlyn had brought it up once, Robert had brushed off that it had ended badly, and how he needed to be there for his family. Soon after, they had begun to conceive the second Undertaking, and then, their friendship had changed. They had never spoken of the woman again… now apparently, Malcolm should have asked.

"Seems to be quite… personal," Felicity summarized. And that was the truth of it- both Isabel and Slade were gunning for Oliver because of vendettas and wrongs they felt had been done to them. She watched as Ollie sat against the table that had his bow on it; his emotions closed off from the world. There wasn't any point in lying about it; she was concerned about him. These last few weeks had just been one thing after another, and right now, she wasn't the person to help him. It was rage he was trying to contain not sadness, and she was thankful when she watched both Sara and Malcolm move towards Oliver. Whatever they discussed was too quiet for her to hear, but she could see Ollie agreeing and grabbing his bow. They didn't leave the Foundry, but they moved to another side where they could spar and shoot arrows. Archery would force Oliver to focus and fighting would give him back control- two things with Slade and hunters on the loose, he desperately needed again.

….

Talia circled the markov device thoughtfully. She had been incredibly lucky that this device had been rebuilt and functional. If anything, this helped her plans tenfold, and she licked her lips excitedly. There was much to be done before much of anything could be done. She had to be patient even in Starling, or she risked revealing too much of her plan. Soon the additional twenty League members would be here, and Slade would inject them with his mirakuru. With their additional power, it would not be difficult to fight off any League member that chose to stand against her. Had there been more hunters to manipulate, Talia could have avoided such a necessity, but her father was smart. Too many hunters risked the rest of the League, so he had always kept their numbers to five or less. That way if the hunters did turn, the rest of the League could overpower them.

In the corner, Kali worked hard to copy down the design and note any important features if they needed to hire someone to build a new one. Kali was the technical genius of the hunters, and completely loyal to Talia. Reese was very similar, but he was more easily bored with anything that required actual work to operate. Currently, he was out on assignment watching the young female Merlyn. After what Slade had done, the Dark Archer had left her open and easily shadowed.

At any point, Talia could most likely track down the traitorous archer, but she wanted to keep things slow to allow other parts of her plan to fall into place… like the newly acquired markov device. There were such wonderful opportunities that she could use this for. Which brought her attention back to the current opportunity that Viper was supposed to be procuring for the team. Talia frowned as she thought of the other hunter- thus far, she had kept her plans quiet from the archer. Viper had always been too stringent on the code, and if she continued to hold to it, Talia would simply have to eliminate her as the Al Ghul had done with Tyri.

For now, Talia needed to keep Oliver on his toes, and she had to discover what their own little tech girl could do. The easiest way was to stress the team, and she had the perfect way to do that without revealing herself just yet. Upstairs, a guest waited, and Talia thought the woman had been far too easy to manipulate. She'd do anything for the chance to kill her father, and Talia was all too happy to help.

The two FBI agents she had kidnapped to find the girl's father location sat tied to chairs and trembling. Five minutes prior, Viper had confirmed the intel had been correct, which meant these two had lost their use. With a smile, Talia unsheathed her sword, and with a fluid arc, she slit one of their throats. The other's eyes widened, but before he could beg for his life, Talia had put the sword tip through the man's heart.

"When Reese returns," Talia stated cleaning her blade on the pant leg of one of the agents, "have him clean up this mess."

"And where are you going?" Kali asked with a sigh. She'd have to sit with the bodies until then, and the smell in this basement would be amplified.

"To confirm our deal with the Huntress, of course," Talia smiled.

**Note:** Two chapters in one day. Jeesh! Anyway, I was going to put this chapter off, but I really liked the idea of a Birds of Prey arc. Plus I didn't want to put it off too much because I refuse to believe Nyssa would be quiet that long, so viola I'm going to start it up sooner rather than later.  
Even though this arc is going on, the hunters will be prominent in causing trouble.

Last but not least, who saw the Arrow season 3 trailer? Dang it… Apparently I might be ahead of the game here, but I am still considering a sequel to this. I had some ideas that I'll have to adjust for what I've seen about season 3, but I'm not completely sold on doing one yet. We'll see. Anyway, enjoy!


	43. Nyssa

**Important Note: **So in this chapter half-way through Diggle sort of vanishes. There's a reason for that- he's going to be doing the suicide squad mission during this. I realized however I never spoke whether Ben (Bronze Tiger) was arrested, and since I'd hate to go back and add that one line, I'm just telling you here- yes he was. The team doesn't know because ARGUS wiped his arrest record to hide him.

**Chapter 43**

When Viper arrived, she was half-dragging Frank through the double doors. The crime boss had a bag thrown over his head, and he was obviously gagged by his muffled shouts and curses. The hunter wasn't giving the man any leeway; she didn't exactly care that he didn't have his feet under him hence why he kept tripping. Viper could have waited a moment to allow Frank to adjust his stance, but she wasn't in the mood. At the safe house, she had to kill a half dozen FBI agents, and she didn't exactly see the point to all of this yet. Talia was in charge when all the hunters were together, but that didn't mean the archer had to like her orders.

Tossing the crime lord at Talia's feet, Viper respectfully nodded her head while rolling her eyes. In her periphery, she caught sight of another masked female, and the hunter considered the woman dressed in the long black coat with purple highlights. She began to wonder what it was with this city and all their masked residents. It was as bad as Gotham.

"He's yours," Talia said with a smile. Even without her weapons as requested by the Huntress, the head hunter still had an air of lethality around her. The smile on her face was small and held a promise of death and pain. "As you requested." She stepped forward and pulled the bag off Frank's head. He glanced around at first with anger, but when he saw his daughter, his look turned to terror. Through the gag, a sort of plea could be heard.

"How does it feel Daddy?" Helena asked, her finger already on her crossbow. She had been waiting so long for this, and it didn't entirely feel real that it was here. "You killed Michael." She raised her bow, but she heard Talia tsk.

"Do we have a deal?" the hunter asked. "Your father delivered for your cooperation."

"Yes," Helena hissed. She didn't even know the exact terms of this arrangement, but the truth of it was she didn't care.

"Good," Talia said with a clap. "Viper if you would."

In a blink, the archer had moved in and disarmed Helena. The crossbow skidded away, and Viper held Helena's arm up at a strange angle. In this position, she could break the arm, but she didn't move again once the Huntress was subdued. Talia stepped between Frank and Helena, and the Huntress glared.

"You said," she began with a growl.

"I said your father for your cooperation," Talia stated. "And you agreed. Once you complete what I ask of you, he's yours. Viper removing him from the safe house was our show of good faith."

"I'll do what you ask," Helena said flabbergasted; she couldn't understand what the hunters could be asking that would be so terrible that they would need continued leverage.

"Even if it means going against Oliver Queen?" the Al Ghul hmmed. She watched Helena's eyes widen a fraction. "Yes I know Mr. Queen's secret. He is not very capable of hiding it properly, but that is not my concern. I need you to break into Queen Consolidated's applied sciences department."

"For what?" the Huntress asked, her eyes trailing to Frank for a brief moment. She wondered what exactly she had just gotten herself into, but then again, she didn't exactly care. Whatever it took to kill her father.

"They have some old blueprints I wish to get my hands on," Talia explained. "I will give you the file number, and all I need you to do is steal all their notes and supplies related to it."

"That's it?" Helena asked, suspicious that it could be that easy. She didn't understand why this group didn't just do it themselves. They had the obvious skill, but she kept these thoughts to herself.

"That's it," Talia smiled. "But of course, there is a chance your ex will come and interrupt you."

"I'll deal with him," the huntress growled.

Talia grinned and moved away, waving her hand to have the Huntress released. Reese had just returned as the other woman stormed out with the intention of breaking into QC. He watched idly and in boredom before he entered the lobby where both Viper and Talia stood. He had been out of the loop for a few hours, and he was eager to catch up.

"What plans?" Viper asked, crossing her arms.

"We cannot guarantee Slade won't interfere with us," she explained which was a half-truth. Talia was prepared for the instance in that Slade betrayed her, and currently, she had her eye on a lab that was attempting to prepare a cure. He had his men quietly take out the other labs that had been attempting the same thing, but she had Kali hide the records for this lab. It was better to have a way out, always. "These plans are to help ensure that," another lie. The plans were for the markov device, and she was sure that Viper would figure it out but that was an eventuality not a current problem. Slade had requested help getting the plans, and Talia was happy to oblige as long as her fingerprints weren't on it. Hence the Huntress.

"I do not see why we don't attack Mr. Merlyn now," Viper replied. "We know where they are at."

"Patience," was all Talia said before moving away with Reese. The male hunter heaved Frank to his feet and began to drag him to the lower levels.

Viper was not a fool; she recognized a time stalling tactic. She just wasn't sure what Talia would need extra time for, but whatever it was, she was sure it had something to do with that device in the basement. The mere thought of using it caused a shudder to run down Viper's spine, but if Talia wanted it, there was little doubt that the Al Ghul would hesitate when given the chance.

For now, Viper would bid her time and wait. Perhaps, this was all about Talia's need to avenge her sister's kidnapping. The Al Ghul's were a bit overzealous, but the hunter had not thought the sisters were that close.

Shouldering her bow, the hunter headed back out. With Reese back, someone had to go and watch the younger Merlyn.

…

Oliver clenched his teeth as Isabel went on about another financial situation, and the board was lapping it up. He had been certain that he could handle sitting near her and pretending that his mother hadn't just been killed, but staring at how the woman smiled and commanded the room, Oliver wanted to launch himself across the table and strangle her.

Except on that, he was sure that she'd just love to spin that into how he wasn't stable and take over his company. That was why she was obviously here; Slade had promised to take everything away and that included QC. Oliver wasn't about to let that happen though, so for now, he had to tolerate her presence.

Hidden nearby, where exactly Oliver wasn't sure, Malcolm waited in case Isabel did decide to do something incredibly stupid. Neither archer would put it past her to simply blow up the building if it came down to it, so it had been decided that Oliver would go about daily business and if need be, the Dark Archer would intercede. It had taken a lot out of Oliver to convince Malcolm and Sara not to kill Isabel; even he wanted her dead, but it wasn't his way anymore.

Needing some reassurance, Oliver casted his gaze past the board to where Felicity was working. He could barely see her at this angle, but somehow, she seemed to realize that he was looking at her. She scooted back to put herself more in view and smiled, and instantly, he relaxed. He nodded his thanks and focused back in on the board meeting the best he could.

Quarterly was up. That was all Oliver got from the meeting, but he thanked each member as they left personally until it was just him and Isabel. She smiled ruthlessly at him, and he couldn't help how his face hardened. Cocking her head, she leaned against the table and tried to figure out what was up with the sudden coolness. They had yet to really see eye to eye, but things had gotten better between them recently.

"Business is better Oliver," Isabel said. "We make a good team."

"Better than you and Slade?" he asked, unable to stop himself. He had agreed to work near her, but he wasn't about to let her believe that they were one step ahead of him. Hopefully, this would throw her and Slade off balance, the fact he knew.

Whatever Isabel was expecting, that was not it; however, she didn't let it show. She simply pursed her lips and sighed. Sitting up on the board table, she considered the younger Queen. He was nothing like his father, but she had to give him credit for lasting this long against Slade and his games.

"Nothing to say?" Oliver asked, and he watched as she smiled. Nearby Felicity was on her feet watching the exchange carefully, and he was sure that wherever Malcolm was, he was doing the same.

"So you figured it out," she shrugged. "What did you want me to say Oliver?"

"How about an explanation as to why?"

"You figured out I was working with Slade but not the reason?" she laughed.

Oliver glowered, "My father?" He watched as she nodded and her body structure took on an angry tone. She was coiled and prepared to attack.

"He was supposed to leave with me," she hissed, but beyond that, Oliver didn't care to hear more. He turned and waved for Felicity to join him.

"I'm going to get you removed from this company Isabel," he said.

"You're pathetic," she half-shouted. "You're nothing like your father." If Oliver wanted to stop her, he'd have to kill her, and she knew of his new 'no-kill' rule. Shaking her head, she couldn't believe he had just walked away, but when she went to move, she felt her cheek sting. Imbedded in the wall was a single black arrow, and she touched her cheek to see it come away with blood. That made her stop in her tracks.

Ollie didn't say it, but he was actually glad he wasn't like his father. He wanted to be better, and he wanted to do what his old man couldn't- save the city. He had some failings here and there, but as Felicity grasped his hand in hers, he felt that at least today he had taken another step in the right direction.

Half-way to the Foundry, Felicity muttered about needing a shower and a change of clothes. He watched as she scampered away in amusement. Things were still uneven between them as neither knew what line they wanted to draw, but Ollie was glad he hadn't frightened her away completely with what happened. He wasn't sure how he'd stay grounded without her, especially today. To sit in the room with the person partially responsible for his mother's death… it was probably worse than working with the man that killed his father.

Arriving at the Foundry, Oliver observed Malcolm had already arrived and had ditched his cowl. They both were heading out tonight with Sara to check out Slade's base of operations. None of them wanted to give the man a chance to escape, and Ollie was surprised by how vehement Malcolm had been that he would be joining as well. The younger archer had remembered how it was Mr. Merlyn to track him down at the secondary base and their conversation… still, it was strange to see how far they had come in a short expanse of time.

Diggle was nowhere in sight, and he hadn't been around all day. Oliver wasn't too worried just yet, but come a few hours, he'd try calling again. Moving to the computers, the emerald archer went to boot up their systems, but the moment he hit a switch, the computer exploded. It sent Oliver sprawling, and he watched from his back as the lights all went into emergency mode and the Foundry locked itself down.

Malcolm was at his side pulling Ollie back to his feet. Besides a few obviously strained muscles and soon-to-be bruises, he was in one piece. "What just happened?" the Dark Archer asked.

"We just went into lockdown," Oliver stated. "And the only way to lift it would have been on that computer." They both looked to see the wreckage of the old system scattered about the room.

"Can you do it manually?" Malcolm asked.

"As long as Felicity hasn't updated it past my skill," Oliver shrugged. "But it might take me a few hours." He moved to the table and picked up his comm device to try and call out, but it was dead. He then tried his cell phone which had zero bars. "Is your phone..?"

"Dead," Malcolm confirmed. "Someone wants us trapped in here."

…..

Felicity had just finished showering and turning off the television which had Sebastian Blood talking in sadness over Moira's death when Sara showed up through her window. The IT couldn't help but squeak in surprise and almost drop her towel.

"I can't get into the Foundry," the Canary explained. "All the codes aren't working, and every door is sealed shut. The club is unaffected."

Frowning, Felicity opened her tablet and remote accessed the Foundry to find she couldn't get in herself. "It must be in lock down," she explained as she tried to back door her way in. She eventually was able to gain control of the cameras. "Malcolm and Oliver are in there."

"Are they okay?" Sara asked. She shocked herself by using the word 'they' and referring to both archers. She couldn't believe herself, and she shook her head in astonishment.

"They look fine," Felicity said. "But… oh my god!"

"What?" Sara questioned suddenly worried.

"My computer," she said with a pout, and the Canary caught a glimpse of what was left of the Foundry's electronic set-up. She flinched at the destruction. "Someone must have triggered a lock down," she eventually got out, her eyes still glued to her poor computer.

"Slade? The hunters?" Sara voiced. It could have easily been either, or it could be an entirely new player. They couldn't be sure yet. "Why?"

"Without my computer, the lock down will have to be manually disabled," she explained. "It will take a few hours if they're lucky or if I was there. I was supposed to already be there." Sara nodded likewise. "It was supposed to trap all of us."

Sara frowned. That wasn't like the hunters to just trap their prey, and Slade would be there tormenting Oliver already if this was his plan. None of it was adding up. A sound distracted Sara, and she pulled out her bo-staff prepared to defend both of them if need be. She moved to the living room towards the intruder, and then pressed into the wall waiting. When the person moved by, Sara attacked. She attacked high, but they ducked and attack low.

In a few moves, Sara found herself on her back, and she kicked up landing on her feet. She crossed her staff with a bow, and she stopped when she saw Nyssa's smiling face. The Al Ghul looked amused and pleased at how Sara had gotten the drop on her.

"What are you doing here?" Sara asked. Nyssa wasn't supposed to be here anymore. At this point, it was blatantly ignoring her father's orders, and even he would not take well to that.

"To help," Nyssa explained moving into the kitchen where Felicity sat.

The three girls each considered each other, and Felicity felt extremely embarrassed for only being in a towel again. None spoke, and they each didn't look thrilled to see the other. Even Sara was not happy with Nyssa's return. It was much too dangerous in the Canary's opinion.

"Help with what?" Sara finally asked. "Your sister?"

"You know I cannot," Nyssa admitted sadly. She was League, and that meant she followed League code. "But I can feign ignorance on what I can help you with."

"Which is?"

"Oh," Felicity said, and she went back to her tablet. She had to go through a few different layers of code, but she found the source. An alarm had been triggered at QC and quickly disabled. The police wouldn't get this, but Felicity a long time ago had synched her tablet to the security systems for instances such as these. "There's a break-in at applied sciences. I'll try and pull up what I can." While working, Felicity was in a trance.

"That," Nyssa said pointedly.

**Note:** So the Birds of Prey in my story will be Sara, Nyssa, and Felicity. I'm terrible, I know- locking the boys in. But it was necessary as I want the Birds of Prey to focus on the girls only. So I'm sorry that this is only a set-up chapter, but we're get into it soon enough. This won't just be two chapters (if you include this one). Probably at least three since there is a lot to deal with when it comes to Helena. Each chapter I will probably label with a Bird of Prey (so you can see the arc).

Also yay 100 reviews. You guys are awesome, so thank you to each of you. When I write, I try to do this for you because I want each of you to enjoy it. So thank you for giving me a reason to write! You guys are amazing *thumbs up*


	44. Felicity

**Chapter 44**

"It will take hours for Oliver to break through the lock down," Felicity murmured. She could, of course, go down there, but the mechanism was on the inside. There wasn't much she could do for them; instead, she worked to try and find the security systems for the applied sciences building. Whoever was there, she could at the very least slow down. After that was taken care of, she could worry about Oliver. She, of course, believed he could handle himself even with Malcolm locked in with him, but she was unable to help herself. Seeing the two men on a security camera, standing around looking a bit confused, saddened Felicity a bit. She wondered how long before Oliver tried an explosive arrow... on the door not Malcolm; though the latter did cross her mind as well.

"Then I'll go," Sara said pulling her mask from the duffel she had slung over her shoulder. Her bike was waiting outside, and hopefully, she'd be able to get to the building before the thief escaped. Sara refused to accept that this was a coincidence. They were all supposed to be in the Foundry when it went into lockdown, and now, there was a break-in at Queen Consolidated. The ex-League member could draw an easy line between the two dots, but again, she didn't see this as the hunters or Slade's direct work. They wouldn't trap the team… they'd just kill everyone and then go about their intended business.

"Not alone," Nyssa argued stepping between Sara and the exit.

"I think… Um… I'll go get some clothes on," Felicity stammered out not wanting to get in-between the inevitable fight. She rushed to her bedroom to find something suitable since she couldn't help Oliver but she could with Sara.

"Sara," Nyssa said less forcefully. "This has my sister's mark all over it."

"If that was true, Oliver would be dead and Malcolm would be gone," she pointed out. "This might have something to do with her, but it's not her at Queen Consolidated." She wasn't sure why Nyssa would think she'd believe such a notion. She might have never directly been around Talia, but she had heard enough of the tales and stories to know what the elder Al Ghul would do given the chance. After all, she had warned Oliver of it prior to them teaming up with Malcolm.

"Perhaps," the assassin sighed. "But we do not know who it is. We work well as a team."

"I'm not going back," Sara said again to reiterate her point, and she watched as disappointment flickered across Nyssa's face before the Al Ghul controlled herself and stood emotionless. "If you want to help, that is your choice." Nyssa agreed to these terms as Felicity returned from the bedroom dressed.

The IT girl glanced around, happy to see her kitchen in one piece. She nervously smiled at Nyssa before taking a seat back at the table with her tablet in front. Under her arm was another laptop which she quickly set up. It would be better if she had a desktop, but she'd take what she had at the moment, especially since a lot of her money had gone into the computer that now lay in pieces in the Foundry. She was sad that it had been destroyed- why the person couldn't simply lock them out of that as well was beyond her… well then again, she'd probably be able to get by whatever firewall they would have put up.

"If we wish to stop whoever is at this science building, we need to get going," Nyssa finally said, and Felicity raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word.

"I've hacked the security cameras, but whoever is there must know to stay out of sight," Felicity explained. "But I'll do what I can to get you in unnoticed as well." She stopped typing to catch Sara's eye. "What about Oliver's rule?"

"No killing," Sara regretfully told Nyssa. She, herself, wasn't entirely thrilled with it either, but when Oliver was able to escape his own hideout, he would not be happy if there was blood all over his applied science building. If killing could be avoided, it had to be.

"Not killing is what landed half of you in this situation," Nyssa argued. "If Malcolm Merlyn has simply…"

"Slade would have still come," Felicity said.

"He's not my problem," Nyssa responded, her gaze tied to Sara. Had Malcolm not set off the device, Nyssa thoroughly believed Sara would have never left the League.

"This isn't the time for arguing morals," Sara interrupted not wanting to hear it. Mostly because she agreed; if Oliver had just left Malcolm to die, half of this wouldn't have happened. Slade… she wished the man had died, but she knew Oliver truly thought the man dead. Of course unbeknownst to her, Felicity had heard the tale and how Oliver had regretted his actions. Unlike prior situations had Oliver chosen to let Slade live and be cured, then this could have been avoided.

"Perhaps," she said in agreement. "Let's go."

"I'll let you know what I see," Felicity explained before offering an extra comm to Nyssa, who graciously accepted it. Now that all three women were synched, Sara and Nyssa headed off to the applied science building.

…..

Meanwhile at the Foundry, Oliver laid on his back underneath a console. The wires had been stripped, and he was doing his best to try and reroute power to an older system that would gain him access to the lockdown. It was the first step in attempting to open the doors. Nearby, Malcolm sat, watching and unhelping. Oliver glared when another shock jolted his fingers.

"Are your lockdowns this complicated to lift usually?" Malcolm asked, finally standing and kneeling the prone Oliver. He did not have as much work in electronics as some, but he could probably lend a hand. However at the younger archer's glower, Malcolm backed off. Things were obviously still a bit tense since yesterday.

Bringing up Robert had reminded Oliver that the man in the room with him had killed his father. For now, he could easily ignore it, but he needed some time to refocus his emotions. Tonight being out in the city would have helped; instead, he was now trapped in a room. Growling, he tried to reroute the power again with little luck.

"The only way someone would know to initiate a lockdown like this," Oliver started with a sigh before frowning, "is if they had been in the Foundry before and had some familiarity with our system." For the moment, Oliver stood and brushed the dust from his pant legs; he wasn't giving up but he did need a break. His fingertips were beginning to lose sensation. "I think we can safely assume that the hunters didn't directly do this."

"Correct," Malcolm nodded. "We'd already be dead or worse if it was them. Slade then?"

Oliver shook his head, thinking back on the radio incident on the island. "He's not very good with technology. Break first, sort of man." That eliminated the two main players… so perhaps it had been the man in the skull mask? But Oliver wasn't sure how that man would know his identity unless Slade had told him.

"They would have had to know your identity to break in here," the other archer surmised. "Who knows how you spend your nights besides your team?"

Oliver sighed and rubbed his face as he tried to recall everyone that had discovered it by accident or on purpose. "You," he replied, more in jest then much else. At this rate, Malcolm was becoming a fixed point on the team. "Slade, Isabel, Amanda Waller…" Those were the most recent names.

"Waller from ARGUS?" Malcolm asked, a bit of surprise on his face.

"Long story," Oliver simply said before another name came to mind. "Helena Bertinelli… the Huntress." He hadn't seen her in months, not since they had again left on terrible terms. He had tried to keep up with her movements, but when she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be. She had been in the Foundry, and she had seen Felicity's set-up. It was possible, but he didn't understand why she would. Helena was focused on revenge against her father, and if she had decided to add Oliver to that list, she would be down here herself.

There was a pause in their conversation as it wasn't exactly getting them anywhere. Even if they did know who locked them in, they still couldn't get out. Ollie looked to see Malcolm deep in thought, and he dropped back down to get to work on the console. For now, they were civil, but two archers in one room for a long period?

"Did my son know?" Malcolm asked breaking the silence. "Prior to that night of the Undertaking."

Oliver stopped what he was doing for a moment before conceding, "Yes he did. I had to reveal myself when he refused to let me help you otherwise the night you were poisoned with curare."

Without another word, Malcolm approached Oliver, and somehow, the younger archer understood. He scooted aside as to allow the Dark Archer to help with the work. There was so much that still needed to be said between them, but first, they needed to reroute the power. Even after though, Oliver had no qualms talking about Tommy, but he wasn't ready to discuss his father with the man that helped to kill him. For Ollie, it was a fact better left ignored.

Suddenly the lights went completely out. "Crap," muttered Oliver. "I think I just cut power to the entire club."

….

"It looks quiet on the outside," Sara commented when they arrived at the applied sciences building. The entire structure was dark, and there was little movement. Even from where she sat on her bike, she couldn't see a guard patrolling. Whoever broke in had done a good job of staying under the radar. If it hadn't been for Felicity's system, they probably wouldn't have even realized the break-in.

However as the two girls approached, they came across the first sign something was wrong with a body from security. In his chest were two small arrows, and Nyssa bent down and examined the wound. It was sloppy precision, and while it had gotten the job done, they wouldn't get such a lucky shot at either Sara or Nyssa.

"Can you get us in?" Sara asked Felicity via comm as she approached the door. It was a key code.

_"Give me a minute,"_ Felicity muttered as she worked to find a way to track the code. This door was not hooked into the main grid of the system, so she couldn't simply hack in and open it. Instead, she looked to security cameras; there wasn't an exact angle on the pad. Nonetheless, she calculated internally the likelihood of each code. _"Try 3468."_

"No good," Sara said a moment later. "I could kick the glass in?" she said towards Nyssa.

_"Then give me a second to disable the alarms," _Felicity sighed. _"Or try 3648."_

Trusting Felicity, Sara tried the new code, and to her surprise, the light turned green. Both Nyssa and Sara were able to enter undetected. "We're in the main lobby," the League member confirmed. "Where to now?"

_"The silent alarm was triggered in the developmental and research department,"_ Felicity said. _"It's two floors up."_

"Confirmed," Sara said as she and Nyssa sunk into the shadows. They doubted they'd run into any living guards, but they weren't about to take any risks. "Felicity, do we know anyone who also uses arrows as projectiles?"

_"Viper,_" she replied as she continued to disable alarms quietly and quickly.

"Smaller arrows," Nyssa added. "And nowhere near had the precision expected of a League member." Assassins wouldn't tie their name to such amateur work.

_"Smaller?_" Felicity asked trying to confirm. She couldn't think of an archer that would use smaller arrows since they wouldn't exactly fit on a compound… her thoughts trailed off. _"Arrows that could be used in say a hand-held crossbow?"_

"Perhaps," Nyssa said thoughtfully.

"Why do you ask?" Sara followed up with as they entered the stair-well. Two security guards lay dead in a pool of their own blood- these arrows were grouped more closely. Obviously the assailant hadn't been as surprised when he or she had come across them.

_"Oliver's crazy ex-girlfriend,"_ Felicity said before adding, _"Digg's words not mine. Helena Bertinelli. We haven't heard from her in a while. When Oliver stopped her from killing her father again, she left Starling."_

"She used a hand-held crossbow I assume?" Nyssa asked.

Felicity nodded before realizing she was on comm with the other two, and they couldn't exactly see her. Trying not to laugh at herself, Felicity quickly confirmed that information, and she continued to explain how Helena became the Huntress. "She's also been in the Foundry and seen our set-up."

"So it's possible that she initiated the lockdown?" Sara questioned as Nyssa and she reached the second floor. They pressed their backs against the wall near the door and listened.

Felicity made a non-commital sound. It was possible, but she wasn't sure what the endgame would be. Helena wanted her father dead, so locking Oliver in would make some sense in keeping him out of the way. However, why go to Queen Consolidated then? The pieces didn't exactly fall together.

"Anything on the security cameras?" Sara asked.

Felicity snapped her attention back to her tablet and laptop. There wasn't anything she could see, and she quickly relayed that. There was another locked door that led to the more classified work, but she wasted little time in working around the firewalls and finding the information she wanted. At first, she tried looking up mirakuru since that was the most recent issue. However there was little to no information on that compound, so she paused in her efforts to try and think of something else the applied sciences department would have information on. Her mind drifted to the recent theft of the markov device, a machine Queen Consolidated helped to finish.

Inside the applied sciences department, Sara and Nyssa split up to opposite walls and walked silently through the room. The giant office was split into numerous glass rooms, and on the far end of the room was another security locked door. Since they couldn't see anyone in this particular room, they both assumed that the intruder was behind that door.

_"Sara," _Felicity said in worry. The Canary stopped for a moment. _"There's some information on the markov device on the applied sciences servers."_

"What is it?" she whispered, and she caught Nyssa's look. The Al Ghul had heard about this particular weapon, but she hadn't realized it was still a threat.

_"I can't access it,"_ Felicity sighed. _"It must be kept on a separate server and off the main for this reason._" In case someone as smart as her tried to hack it.

"Do you want to bet that that server is behind that particular door?" Nyssa teased. She notched an arrow on her bow just as Sara pulled out her bo-staff.

"If so, they aren't leaving with whatever that information is," Sara growled. Whoever had the markov device had to be stopped, and whatever Helena, if this was her, knew would soon be divulged. The Canary didn't exactly care what it would take to learn it; Starling couldn't take another hit like that.

_"Find a computer in there, and I'll walk you through how to let me in," _Felicity said. They needed to know what additional information that applied sciences had on the markov device.

**Note:** So Oliver and Malcolm are going to spend some quality time together, and we aren't really going to focus on them. Use your imagination for their glaring matches as we focus on the girls solely for the next few chapters. Thea will get a small portion just so we can catch up with her.

Well, Helena and our Birds come into contact next chapter, and it'll be fun to have three characters in one room that do not have Oliver's qualms about killing so much.  
Enjoy


	45. Sara

**Chapter 45**

_"The door's unlocked,_" Felicity said a breath later.

The light on the security door turned green, and both Nyssa and Sara prepared for whatever, or whoever, was behind it. The Al Ghul notched an arrow and took point as Sara opened the door outward. She didn't speak as she entered the expansive room. A few gadgets laid on work tables, but otherwise, it was a relatively empty room. Computers lined the walls though, and there was a catwalk above her head.

"_I've cut main power,_" Felicity explained as the lights flashed off.

Sara entered moments later keeping up at the rear. Her senses keyed her into the dark room; there was barely any light, emergency power had just kicked on. That put Nyssa and Sara on the advantage; they both were adept at fighting in the dark.

"_The computer upstairs is on a separate grid,_" Felicity continued. _"Patch me into that one, and I'll be able to access their data files._"

Sara and Nyssa shared a look before the blonde nodded. "Right," she said into her comm as she found the stairs. Nyssa would continue to look for the intruder. There weren't a whole lot of places they could hide. She trusted her instincts and kept Sara covered as the other woman walked across a catwalk that had no cover. Nyssa saw the arrow almost too late, but she shot her own and deflected the smaller arrow.

The Canary dropped into a roll forward in time to dodge the second one, and she spun around to see another woman drop from the higher rafters. She was dressed in a long black, leather coat with purple highlights. Sara wasn't entirely sure what to take away, but her eyes did focus in on the small crossbow in the enemy's hand. It wasn't as powerful as Nyssa's bow, but it would pierce flesh and could kill.

Sliding under the railing, Sara moved out of the way of the next attack and hung onto the ledge as Nyssa rushed up. Throwing her weight forward, Sara changed sides and returned to the catwalk, albeit on the other side. Sara threw out a kick and sent the smaller crossbow sailing. She flipped out her bo-staff as Felicity continued to chime into her ear about the computer.

"You're not what I was expecting," the other woman stated as she realized she was surrounded by Nyssa on one side and Sara on the other.

"Nor are you," Nyssa stated explicitly. She hadn't expected it to be a hunter, but she also hadn't thought it would be another masked vigilante of sorts. Deep down, she began to wonder what it was with this city and masks.

"Helena?" Sara asked, and she saw that the other woman bristled at the name. "So you're the Huntress."

"Is that Felicity talking in your ear?" Helena asked with a smile. If she had been hoping to off balance the other two fighters, she failed. "Tell her thanks again for helping me with that FBI safe house last time." Her smile grew wider as she came to realize that no one else was coming. "I don't see Oliver. Did he get my present?"

"You locked him in?" Sara asked, just wanting to be sure there wasn't another player on top of this one.

"Didn't want him dropping in on me unexpectedly," Helena shrugged. "But apparently…" Her gaze shifted from one of the girls to the other. "So which one of you is he with now? He has a thing of putting his girlfriends' in masks."

On the other end of the comm, Sara was sure she heard a bit of what could be considered a growl. The comment was a bit low, but before she could say a word, Nyssa had already moved in. "Oliver is no longer a concern of yours. We are."

"And you are?" she asked, but Sara and Nyssa answered the best way they knew. They attacked together with Sara going low and Nyssa high. Helena was smart enough to miss one of the attacks, but she still ended up tripped. Before Sara could slam her bo-staff down on Helena's throat, the other woman rolled under the railing and allowed herself to fall the fifteen feet to the ground. She did land it, and Nyssa waved Sara away.

"I have this," she said. "Felicity can walk me through it as well." On the other end of the comm, she confirmed that statement.

Sara didn't like the idea of leaving Nyssa alone, but she wasn't a fool. The League member was exceptionally trained compared to Helena. The Al Ghul would easily hold her on, but unable to help herself, Sara still reached out and touched Nyssa's arm affectionately with a small smile. They split then, Nyssa now rushing to the computer. She hadn't trusted her ability to reign in years of instincts to simply kill this Huntress, so it was safer if she worked through the computer details.

The Huntress had already retrieved her crossbow, just as Sara's feet touched the ground. The first arrow fired, Sara had to duck again, but the next two, she swatted away with her bo-staff. A full size arrow would be harder, due to momentum, but the smaller arrows, she could keep this up all day. However, she refused to be egotistical; that got people killed. In her ear, she could hear Felicity blabbering on about how to access the mainframe, but she focused her mind on the Huntress.

The two woman circled each other, and Helena smirked as she shot another arrow. Sara used that opportunity to move in; the arrow nicked her arm but she ignored it and closed the distance. Up close, Helena was forced to forgo the bow in favor of hand to hand. Sara leaned back to dodge a high kick, and she couldn't help but appreciate that the other woman did have some skill.

Sara swung her bo-staff and flung it to her other hand just as she spun. The end caught Helena's across the face, but the Huntress dodged being tripped. Her hand was pressed against her face, and Sara shot the woman a smile. Well trained or not, Sara was better trained. The League had made sure of that.

"I don't think we've met," Helena said as she tried to put more distance between them.

"Nope," Sara growled refusing to let that happen. She ran in again, jumped up, and slammed her bo-staff down on Helena's shoulder. The woman let out a surprised yelp, but she found it in her to aim the crossbow in her less dominant hand and put a single arrow in Sara's abdomen.

"Ta-er al-Aster," Nyssa shouted in worry as she leaned over the railing from above. With a concealed snarl, she raised her bow and shot two of her own arrows in quick succession. Helena successfully caught the first one, but the second one came too quick. It caught her in the side.

"_Sara?_" Felicity said in worry. She could see via security camera that while Sara was still on her feet, she was swaying a bit.

"I'm fine," Sara growled as she pulled the arrow out. It hadn't gone deep, and she didn't think it nicked anything vital. However, it still hurt, and that annoyed Sara that she had allowed that to happen. She strengthened her foundation with the intention of attacking again, but she saw the arrow sticking out of Helena. The Huntress finally seemed to grasp that she was out of her depth against the two League members, and with arrow still embedded, she turned and ran from the room.

"Are you alright?" Nyssa asked dropping down, not caring about the computer anymore. Felicity was already in; the rest she could do.

"I'm fine," Sara repeated as Nyssa reached down and put pressure on the wound. She grimaced but otherwise focused past the pain. "We need to go after her."

Nyssa frowned but nodded. In the League unless an injury was life threatening, one did whatever needed to be done to get the job completed. This was the same situation; Sara could still fight so she would.

"_These files have been accessed before," _Felicity explained. _"They left their footprint… Well electronic footprint at least."_

"Felicity," Sara said as Nyssa took point again as they left the room. Helena wasn't in sight, but with that arrow, she wasn't going to get far easily.

"_Someone downloaded a bunch of files relating to the markov device,_" she continued, fear evident in her voice.

"She can't leave with that," Sara said to Nyssa. They both wondered why the Huntress would want anything on the markov device… no one was sure even where the weapon was. No one had taken credit for the theft, and the triad were rushing around trying to locate it again.

"Then let us stop her," Nyssa nodded. There was no point in arguing that Sara needed to sit this out; she wouldn't listen.

Both girls rushed to the lobby in time to see Helena making for the front door. Nyssa put an arrow into the door, stopping her there. They approached, weapons drawn, and Helena raised her own. Her eyes were wary though.

"Why did you want information on the markov device?" Sara said, imitating Oliver's dark presence. "Who sent you here?"

Helena frowned, and side-stepped when another arrow came at her. Nyssa smiled, "I'd answer her."

"The markov device?" Helena asked, genuinely confused. She then snorted, "Sorry I have no idea what you're talking about."

Sara exchanged a look with Nyssa. They could tell when someone was lying, and the Huntress wasn't. She had no clue what she had stolen, and that made this all the more frightening. "That earthquake machine a few months prior. You stole information on it from that lab. Why and for who?"

Before Helena could answer, red and blue lights appeared outside. The Huntress scowled and from her coat pulled out a grenade. She shot Nyssa and Sara a smile, one that basically said that she was not ever going to tell them what they wanted. Tackling Nyssa behind a pillar, the concussive force of the grenade threw them back, but they were otherwise unharmed.

"_Was that a grenade?"_

"Not now Felicity," Sara groaned as she pushed herself back to her feet. She snatched Nyssa's bow and grabbed a special arrow from Nyssa's quiver. Aiming a shot at the retreating Helena, Sara purposefully nicked only the coat of the Huntress.

"_Me cutting the power must have tripped a secondary silent alarm,_" Felicity explained. _"That place will soon be run over with cops._"

"Did you get what you need?" Sara asked.

_"Yes, now get out of there."_

Hauling Nyssa to her feet, Sara and her left through the large gap in the glass caused by the grenade. Cops had their guns drawn, but they were not close enough to see through the smoking debris yet. A nearby alley provided the cover needed for both Sara and Nyssa to take a moment.

"I take it you caught her with a tracking device from my arrow?" Nyssa asked, once again noticing the oozing wound on Sara's stomach.

With a deep, calming breath, Sara responded, "Yes. Let's give her a chance to return to wherever she came, then we'll track her."

"First," she said pointing to the wound, and for once, Sara didn't argue. They made it back to their bikes and headed towards Felicity's apartment. They'd regroup then find Helena and her backers.

**Note:** Next chapter will be split between Helena and Thea. Then, there will be one more chapter to this arc before it's all wrapped up. So oooo what's the information? How will Helena react to finding out what she actually stole? Guess you'll have to wait.

So before you all jump on me for making Helena so easily beaten by Sara and Nyssa, its just my opinion that the Huntress could hold her own but would be overpowered every time. She's just not as well trained as Sara or Nyssa, and every time she faced Oliver, Oliver would win too. That in mind, I made Helena a bit more cunning in how she dealt with Oliver since she knew she wouldn't be able to beat him again, but she hadn't been expecting two League of Assassin members.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed, and sorry about the gap with this one again. Sometimes I just need a few days to refocus myself.


	46. The Hunters and Huntress

**Chapter 46**

Thea sat on the bed, head bowed, and hand intertwined with Roy's slack grip. Her tears had dried up hours ago, but she hadn't found it in herself to move just yet. Every twitch, every movement she kept hoping it meant that he was coming back to her. Right now, Thea needed Roy. She had no one, and more than anything, she wanted him to wake up and tell her it'd be all right. He had been the one to convince her to forgive her mom after the Glades, but Thea hadn't gotten the chance to apologize for how she reacted to her heritage. He'd make this better… he had to.

However, Thea knew there wasn't any chance Roy would be waking anytime soon. He wasn't in a coma or asleep; he was sedated up to his eyeballs. The doctors were terrified of what would happen if he woke, so they had kept him under. Roy's body, nonetheless, was apparently acclimating to all the drugs, and the doctors were running out of options to keep him contained. There had been some talk of a drug-induced coma at this point, and that thought tightened Thea's grip on Roy.

The younger Queen did not understand what exactly was wrong with her boyfriend; Officer Lance had explained it to some degree, but Thea just wasn't sure what it all meant. Roy had some sort of drug in his system that made him impossibly strong and insatiably mad… or at least that's what Quentin had said.

Her eyes drifted to the IVs feeding Roy, and she had a small temptation to simply pull them out. It couldn't be as bad as they were saying. The Arrow had defeated Roy, so there had to be some exaggeration. Before she could do anything though, the armed guard in the room stepped forward and called her name. Thea wiped her eyes again and turned to see the officer giving her a pitying look… she hated it.

"Visiting hours are over ma'am," he said gently. There was no such thing as visiting hours for Roy, but Lance had pulled some strings. He found a way to let her see Roy, but an officer always had to be in the room, just in case.

Leaning over, Thea planted a soft kiss to Roy's cheek doing her best to contain her emotions again. With a smile to the guard, she turned and left the hospital with every intention of returning the next day. The sun had long since set when she left, and glancing at her phone told her the club was already open. It was suffering a bit because of her absence, but for now, seeing Roy was more important. There was a text from one of her assistant managers about an issue at the club, something about power… but she deleted the text and turned it off. Whoever was there could deal with it.

When Thea started driving, she originally had begun to drive back to the mansion, but halfway, she had to stop. There was no one there. The servants were there, but her mother… Already Thea had gone home twice before and had called out for her, and then remembered. Closing her eyes, Thea tried to push past it, but the tidal wave of emotions was threatening to overwhelm her again.

There was no possible way the younger Queen could go back to the mansion tonight. She was just too raw, so that in mind, she changed her direction abruptly. It probably wasn't the best of ideas to visit the Glades, Roy's house, in her Mercedes and without the bodyguard she had ditched two hours prior, but at the moment though, Thea just couldn't care. She hadn't seen Malcolm in a few days, and it had been weeks since she had seen Viper…

For five minutes after arriving, she sat in her car and just didn't do anything… didn't think, didn't move, just stayed in one place. Once she was sure she could open the door without breaking, she exited only to stop when she heard a wolf whistle. Standing near the car were three men, crowbars in hand and smug smiles on their faces.

"Pretty car," one grinned circling towards Thea. She took an uneasy step back; unlike before, Roy couldn't come to her rescue.

"Pretty girl," another laughed. "Though I'm sure we can change that."

Thea's heart stopped, and she tried to estimate how quickly she could get into Roy's house. There were just too many steps, and the men were advancing quickly. The third and final guy lunged for her, but Thea wasn't completely helpless this time. She at least tried to carry pepper spray for these occasions, and she caught him right in the face.

While he howled with pain, Thea made a mad dash for the door. On the first step though, Thea tripped and fell forward scrapping both of her hands and arms. Spinning around, she turned in time to see the man she caught in the face stomping towards her, but he hadn't gotten more than three feet when he screamed again. An arrow was lodged firmly in his chest, and moments later, he dropped dead.

The other two men gaped before turning to also bolt, but they were quickly dispatched as well. Stepping around the porch, Viper lowered her bow with the threat now gone, and moved to help Thea back to her feet. The younger Queen or Merlyn's eyes were wide, but her brain was still working enough that at the sight of Viper, she got to her own feet. Back against the wall, she glared at Viper.

"No thank you Ms. Merlyn?" Viper asked, bow hanging lax in her grip. Her eyes trailed to the bodies; those would have to be burned.

"Am I supposed to be?" she growled, finding her voice again. "You killed them."

"They were going to do worse to you," Viper shrugged as she went and retrieved her arrows. One of the men was still sputtering, blood dripping from his lips, so with a sigh, Viper retrieved her knife and shoved it through his trachea. Moments later, the gurgling sounds stopped. Sheathing her knife and arrows, the hunter turned back to Thea. Shockingly, the girl hadn't moved, and Viper didn't make a motion to approach again.

"Why do you care?" Thea hissed trying to ignore what she just saw. She had run out of tears, and she was raw. The only thing she could feel was not pity or sadness or even fear but anger. She was rueful that again she had to be saved… this time from the woman that had kidnapped her and stabbed her.

"You're not of much use dead, Ms. Merlyn," Viper responded. "I had to intervene." Talia's orders were clear on that; the girl was not to die until it was necessary… but Viper knew better. This girl was dead; they were just waiting for the _right_ time now.

"You stabbed me!" Thea snapped, and Viper considered the younger woman. She had been expecting hysterics and maybe a touch of rage, but all Thea was portraying was anger.

"Necessary," she replied. "I did apologize, did I not?" A smile graced the hunter's face. "It could have been much worse Ms. Merlyn."

"Stop calling me that! I am not a Merlyn!" she snapped. Unconsciously, she looked around for Malcolm; she couldn't understand why he hadn't appeared yet. Perhaps she had finally convinced him to stay away.

Viper sighed and nodded, "If that's what you wish. You're bleeding." Reaching into her quiver, Viper held out some gauze but did not approach. When she noticed Thea's wandering gaze, she explained, "He's not here."

"Did you finally kill him?" Thea asked, her voice devoid of emotion.

"If I had, I wouldn't be here." Again, she raised the gauze, and when she saw Thea relax her stance a bit, Viper finally approached. However once she was close enough, Thea lunged forward, fist out. Sighing, the hunter sidestepped the attack and tripped the younger woman. Thea hit the dirt, but she didn't stay down. She snarled up at the hunter. "Feel lucky I am not one of my brethren Ms. Queen. They would have killed you slowly for that," she hissed not in the mood to deal with a temper tantrum. That seemingly got through to Thea as she lowered her head and did not rise.

Viper waited patiently for whatever was on the girl's mind to come out, and Thea seemed to know this. "Stop pitying me. I am tired of people looking at me like I can so easily be broken!" she all but shouted, eyes closed.

"I am not one for pity Ms. Queen," Viper said with a frown as she hauled Thea back to her feet. "Are you done?" And Thea nodded.

"I'm tired of being weak," Thea said softly as she just allowed the hunter to clean up her hands and arms. The antiseptic burned, but she didn't even blink. Viper pressed the gauze against the one cut that was refusing to clot, and she taped it down. Eventually the pressure would stop it.

"Then be strong," Viper said as if it was the easiest thing in the world, and to the hunter, it was. She placed her medical supplies back in her quiver and was ready to leave when she noticed Thea's face. The girl wasn't grasping it, so Viper bit back her groan. It was her job to keep the girl alive (or any hunter that was watching the young Queen), but the hunter's patience with the job was wearing thin… and what Thea had just said... Making a decision that she would probably regret, the hunter re-entered Thea's personal bubble.

Thea stared at the hunter, not completely grasping what was going on, but she stayed in shock long enough for Viper to touch her legs and move her. When she looked down, she saw she was in some sort of stance, and she somehow knew to raise her fists. Viper shook her head and brought them up farther.

"Strong foundation would be a good start," the hunter explained. "And you want to protect your face and body." The hunter touched Thea's hips and twisted her body. "When you throw a punch, you use this and keep your balance by having your feet planted properly."

Thea couldn't form words, so Viper continued without missing a beat, "Balance is one of the most important things you can ever learn. In a fight, if you can throw your opponent off balance, you can win." The hunter stepped away and opened her arms. "Well?" When Thea hesitated, the hunter sighed. "I will not kill you for this Ms. Queen. You want to be better, to be able to save the people you love, protect yourself?" The second statement seemed to get through to Thea, and she nodded. "Then, try…"

Thea swung out her fist, but Viper caught it again and repositioned it. Thea's foot was also kicked back. "Feet planted, hips and arm move."

"They won't just stand still and let me hit them," Thea growled, finally responding.

"Ms. Queen," she sighed stepping away again, "you must first learn to crawl before you run."

Viper corrected Thea's stance three more times before collecting her bow and heading out to move. At least now, the girl was less likely to get herself killed, and the hunter wouldn't have to hopefully intercede again. Most low level thugs would run if the girl fought back, and if they didn't, Viper was sure either herself or Malcolm would be there to keep her alive until it was no longer needed.

"Why did you help me?" Thea asked as she watched Viper collect the dead bodies. "I don't understand."

The hunter leveled her gaze at the younger Queen. "Because you're a nuisance. If you can do this yourself, I won't have to waste my arrows the next time." Thea would still need a lot more training, but the idea was now placed in the girl's head. It was a start. When Viper looked up to see Thea staring nonetheless, she conceded a bit more with, "Plus I can respect someone that wants to be stronger. Someone that can see their own weakness and want to improve from it? They have some worth in this world." Bodies placed along the road, Viper nodded, "Good night Ms. Queen."

"But what about..?" she began referring to the bodies, but then, she watched as the hunter loaded the bodies into the back of her car. "That's my car!"

"You're not currently using it," the hunter pointed out. "Consider it a thank-you gift since you could not actually say the words."

"But," Thea growled.

"I'll bring it back soon enough. I am not done watching you for the night," she explained as she easily started the car up, and it was then Thea noticed the hunter had swiped her keys, probably from when Viper had helped to fix her stance.

The car tires squealed as Viper drove away, and Thea didn't move to call the cops. She wasn't sure she could explain who just stole her car anyway. Instead, she thought back on what just happened, and looked down to see her feet hadn't moved. She needed to be strong. It was the only way to protect herself and what little family she had left.

…..

Helena sat on her bike, pained and bleeding. The job had not gone as she had expected it would. She had thought with Oliver effectively contained for a few hours that she would have all the time in the world to get the information requested. Now though, there were these two new players she hadn't recognized, and Felicity was working with them? The Huntress was not thrilled, but at least, she had gotten it done.

Arriving back where the hunters were holed up, Helena entered, flash drive in hand. Talia had been called prior, so she was waiting when the Huntress approached. With a smile, the Al Ghul held out her hand expecting the information, but Helena didn't immediately hand it over.

"What you wanted, are those the blueprints for that earthquake machine?" she asked. Before she wouldn't have cared what the information was, but she had seen the destruction the first time. As much as she hated her father, she wasn't sure if she could just hand this over… just yet.

Talia cocked her head and nodded. "They are." She wasn't in the mood to lie or manipulate; if Helena resisted, Talia would just end her and be done with it. "Do you have them?"

The Huntress stopped and shook her head 'no'. "Someone was there. Not Oliver, but two other women. They were working with Felicity, Oliver's IT help."

"And they stopped you?" Talia asked, hiding her rage. "So you know them?"

"I know Felicity, but I didn't recognize the two in the room. One was dressed similar to you though, and the other was called Ta-er al… something."

Talia felt her blood boiling; she didn't need to be told that her sister's girlfriend had been there… which meant the other one must have been Nyssa, herself. The elder Al Ghul had thought she had made it clear to leave the city, but apparently, her sister had once again ignored her orders. There was only one way to deal with this, so with a whistle, she called up Reese and Kali. The other two hunters responded eagerly and waited patiently behind Talia.

"We shall deal with these three," Talia stated. "As for the blueprints…"

"I didn't get them," Helena started, but she found herself flat on her back, boot to her throat. Talia leaned down and pulled the flash drive from the Huntress's grip.

"I am not a fan of liars Helena," the hunter smiled. "But I am a woman of my word. Your father will die…" Pulling out a syringe filled with one of Viper's concoctions, Talia injected something into Helena's jugular. "However, you will have a very short window to accomplish that before you, yourself die." Stepping away, Talia turned to address the other two hunters. "My sister is still in the city. Find her and bring her to me… alive please. My father would not appreciate Nyssa dying today." The other hunters bowed their heads and turned to leave while Talia pulled Helena up. "Now let us go reunite you with your father in his cell."

**Note:** So I got it in Thea's head already how she wants to be better… now just wait for what's coming. When the Birds of Prey finish up, we will be hitting the ground running with just the hunters. Hopefully you like Talia as she will be around a lot more coming soon as will Slade. He will be showing up at the end of next chapter for those curious. Just be ready for the dominoes to start falling.


	47. Birds of Prey

**Chapter 47**

Back at Felicity's apartment, Nyssa carefully wrapped Sara's midsection with tape and gauze. It wasn't the best of jobs, but it would limit the bleeding, which had already stopped. However it went unsaid that there would be a good chance for it to begin again as Sara had already outright refused to stay behind while Nyssa tracked the Huntress. Felicity had decidedly remained out of the discussion and worked to triangulate the tracer on the League member's arrow.

"Who else would want the markov device besides the triad?" Sara questioned.

"They must still have it in the city," Nyssa said as she finished with the last bandage. She stepped away and frowned at her work. Sara didn't hesitate in pulling her corset back on and zipping it back up. "Why else would there be a theft on information on the device?"

"There's always Slade," Felicity murmured. She half-expected one of the girls to echo her response, but instead, they looked to her.

"That would make sense," Nyssa nodded.

"What about your sister and the other hunters?" Sara asked. She didn't find either group to be more appealing than the other; whoever had the markov device was not planning anything good with it.

"Hunters do have a limit for how much damage they can cause," she argued. "My sister would be breaking League code if she used such a device." That didn't calm Sara's thoughts on the matter. She trusted Nyssa's opinion, but it was just that. Talia had a reputation they each had to consider.

"What was the information on at applied sciences?" Sara asked coming up behind Felicity. She had just finished pulling up the tracer, and on the other screen, there were pages of blueprints.

"The markov stolen was only a prototype," Felicity explained. "It needs an update to its software and some outer components to make it as powerful as the other two." She frowned as she said this, but of course, there was more. "There is additional blueprints on how to make it more powerful…" This was trailed off.

"How much more?" Sara asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Felicity gulped, "It would have taken two devices to completely level the Glades. With the modifications listed here… only one would be needed, and it would do additional damage after that."

Simply put, the device was even more dangerous than before, and someone had to have known that to request the blueprints. If they properly upgraded the machine, it could level a city with the right fault line. Felicity tried not to think of the fault line that not only ran under the Glades but some of the other parts of the city too. A repeat performance from last year could be devastating.

"We need to get those blueprints back," Sara finally said breaking the awkward silence that had befallen the group.

"Agreed," Nyssa nodded. "This weapon is too powerful to exist. Perhaps by following the blueprints, we will find the device itself."

"Helena has stopped moving," Felicity explained. "She's currently in the business district." She rattled off an address.

"Let us know if she moves," Sara said.

"Will do," Felicity responded before going back to the computer. She quickly checked the security camera from the Foundry to see how the guys were doing.

"How are they doing?" Sara asked with a smile somehow just knowing what the IT girl was looking at.

"Only a few tables broken," she explained. She looked up to see Sara's confusion. "They keep…" she made a motion with her hands that she meant to be clashing, but Sara obviously didn't understand. "Butting heads… And for once I mean that literally and figuratively." She looked proud that for once she didn't have to babble to correct herself.

"Keep us… me informed," Sara corrected since Nyssa didn't entirely care about either Malcolm or Oliver.

Nyssa and Sara returned to street level and grabbed a bike. In this situation, Nyssa allowed Sara point since the other woman had more familiarity with the city. Back at the apartment, Felicity worked silently to track Helena, but the Huntress had yet to move since she had settled. The IT girl wasn't entirely sure what to think of that.

Leaning back, she considered her computers, and she cocked her head slightly when she saw a shadow reflect off the corner. She rubbed that part of the screen, but the dark spot didn't go away. Frowning, she took a closer look only to realize it wasn't an area of dead pixel, but a reflection of someone standing behind her. Felicity had barely gotten to her feet when an arm wrapped around her mid-section. She was thrown rather unceremoniously against the wall, and that was when she saw two attacks, both dressed in League garb.

"Hunters," she whispered.

"Smart girl," a very feminine voice laughed. A knife gleamed in the low light of the apartment. "We are looking for one of our own."

"Well how would I know?" she laughed nervously. "I mean look at how you're dressed. You try to avoid being seen, so there's not a huge possibility that I've seen… well you know, known that I've seen… whoever you're looking for."

"You talk a lot," the male hunter growled. The female handed the knife over and went over to the computers. She accessed a few files.

"Hey that's mine," Felicity snapped before noticing the knife again. "Or you know, I can share." She kept looking for an escape since there wasn't any chance she could take them in a fight.

"Very smart girl," the female hunter, Kali, repeated. "They traced the Huntress."

"It seems we should have stayed at base," Reese frowned. "Did you want to kill her and return?" Felicity's muscles tightened; if she was going to die, she had to at least fight.

"She might be useful," Kali said with a shake of the head. "We will take her with. Call Talia though and inform her of our incoming guests." Nyssa and Sara were going to walk right into a trap, and there wasn't a thing Felicity could do. But when Reese went to snatch her again, she kicked him hard in the shin which he hadn't been expecting; however, she didn't get more than a foot when he snatched her hard around the throat. He threw her back into the wall with a snarl.

Felicity saw dots dancing across her vision when Reese squeezed; it was only Kali lightly touching his arm that kept him from probably snapping her neck. Instead, she saw the smile through his cowl, and watched in horror as Kali started a fire. The orange blaze and heat were the last thing she knew before she lost consciousness.

….

"This isn't where we saw Slade last," Sara frowned as they sat in the shadows near an unnamed building. It was surrounded by nice skyscrapers, and it was the last place she would have expected to end up in. A lot of the latest criminals had been using the rundown Glades to hide, so this was a first.

"He could have moved since then," Nyssa said, but she too did not like where they had ended up. This seemed to public to both girls for Slade to be using it. The police were on the lookout, and a place surrounded during the day by thousands of people did not come across as a good place to hole up.

"A building like this would have a lower level," Sara frowned changing topics. She touched her comm to only hear static. "Felicity?" she tried, but when there was no reply, she looked to Nyssa who simply shrugged.

"Does she sometimes not answer?"

"No…" Sara trailed off, half tempted to turn around and go and check in on the blonde.

"We cannot worry about her yet," Nyssa stated. "It could be our comms. Stands to reason that whoever blocked Oliver and Malcolm's could easily block ours, especially if we are within reach of their base of operations."

Sara didn't like that explanation, but for the moment, she accepted it. They ditched their bikes and entered the building next door to their target. Since the enemy wasn't entirely known (it was the Huntress… at the very least), they wanted to have an entry point that wouldn't put them directly into enemy fire. Nyssa shot an arrow from the tenth floor window of their building to the second floor of their intended target. The zip line would allow them to pick up enough speed to break the window completely, and while it wasn't an entirely quiet approach, it would catch whoever they were after off guard.

The Canary went first as she had the close combat weapon. If there was anyone on the other side of that glass, she would be better equipped to take them out. Before she could jump off and zip down, Nyssa snatched her arm. They didn't speak, only shared a knowing glance. The kiss was brief, but it helped to center both fighters on the matter at hand.

"I will follow in five seconds," Nyssa said once she had pulled away. "Stay alive for that time Ta-er al-Aster."

Sara smiled and nodded as she went down, legs forward. She hit the glass hard, but it did, in fact, shatter allowing her entry. She fell into a roll and went past all the glass, coming up quickly once she was clear. Bo-staff in hand, she observed the dark cubicles, but there wasn't a sign of life. It was eerily quiet, and while she wanted to explore and find the stairs, she held her position. It would not be advisable to leave her partner open for attack.

Behind her, Nyssa quietly landed, bow immediately in hand. She checked each corner as well before following Sara towards the far wall where a sign for the stairs was situated. She flagged Sara to stand on one side of the door while she took the other, and on three, the Canary pulled it open with Nyssa ready to shoot anything on the other side. Empty, they followed it down to the basement first, and if they found nothing, they would simply work their way back up.

Again, they approached the basement door similarly. Sara opened it while Nyssa prepared to shoot anything that came out, but again, it was silent. They began to wonder if they had the wrong address, but they pushed in nonetheless.

The basement was eerily dark, but now that they had allowed the door to close behind them, they both could hear some distant cries. Someone else was down here with them, and they were sobbing. Nyssa and Sara raised their weapons respectively and quietly moved in and out of the shadows casted along the walls. Generators and hot water tanks sat in the room, and they used this as cover as well.

The voice slowly got louder until they reached a far wall where a metal door sat, locked shut. It was a simple slid lock, so thankfully neither of them had to find another way to open it. They weren't entirely sure what to expect when they opened it, but the Huntress sitting in a corner was last on their list. Sara felt little pity for the woman, and Nyssa felt nothing. She raised her bow, but only stopped when Sara shot her a look.

"Oliver's rule," Sara reminded, a scowl on her own features due to that. She wasn't entirely thrilled with it either. Nyssa nodded tersely and entered the room right behind Sara. "Helena," she said, trying to catch the sitting woman's attention.

Nyssa noticed in a corner there was another body, so she went to check that one. When she was closer, she noticed that the body was now a corpse of an older man, purple bruises around his neck from strangulation. This caused her to frown; there were better ways of killing someone.

"Come to kill me?" Helena growled, looking up from her position. Her lips were tinged blue, and her eyes were bloodshot. Tremors shot through her body. "Well you're too late. Your friends already did that." This was said more towards Nyssa.

"Friends?" the League member echoed in curiosity. She didn't exactly have a lot of 'friends'.

Helena snorted and swallowed a laugh. "Unless you're telling me this is a common style of clothing," she said referring to Nyssa's garb.

"Sara," Nyssa hissed grabbing her arm. "These are the hunters. We need to leave."

"I thought you said Talia would not steal the markov device," she whispered.

"I did not think she would have," the League member admitted, unsure of what her sister was planning, but she wasn't about to be caught in the middle of it. "I cannot help more. Going against the hunters is practically going against my father."

"Then you go," Sara said softly touching Nyssa's cheek. "I have to stay and try to stop this."

"She will kill you!" she forcefully whispered. She was half-tempted to tie the Canary up and drag her from this room, but she had learned a thing or two about her lover's stubbornness.

"I have to try and delete the files," Sara argued in turn. "We don't know why the hunters wanted it, or if they do have the markov device for certain. But if they do…" The damage they could cause to the city would be astronomical. "Take Helena out of here."

"Ta-er…" Nyssa began, but Sara crushed their lips together instead. They held each other tight against the other. When they pulled away, a resigned look had washed across Nyssa's face. She nodded, "Do not confront Talia directly. Do what you must, then leave." The League member bent down to Helena and checked her over; the puncture told Nyssa that the ex-vigilante was suffering from some sort of poison. She wasn't as skilled as Viper, but she was certain she could keep the girl alive long enough to get her to a hospital where they could take over.

"Wait," Helena hissed when Nyssa pulled her up. The Huntress's legs shook, and she had turned a pretty shade of green. "The information is on a flash drive. There is another room down the hall, and that one has computers plus stairs to the lobby."

"Was he worth it?" Sara asked, referring to the dead man. She had heard enough to know Helena had wanted her father dead at any cost, and Sara figured that was him decomposing in the corner.

The Huntress met Sara's gaze, and at first, she looked to be stubborn enough not to say a word. However, she finally conceded, "I thought I'd feel different." With that Nyssa led the woman from the room leaving Sara along.

…

Talia sat against the table, her eyes twinkling at the sight of the bound blonde girl in front of her. Her hunters had brought this mess back to her while informing her that Sara and Nyssa were on their way here. It made everything so much easier, but Talia knew that Nyssa wouldn't stay. Once her younger sibling realized this was her ploy, Nyssa had to leave. This was League business, and she couldn't interfere.

"I must say I am impressed," Talia said with a wave of her hand. "Most do not even know where to locate the power button on a computer."

"It's on the tower," Felicity muttered, trying to sit tall, but Talia smiled in response causing a shiver to run down Felicity's spine.

In the hunter's hand was her sword, and it was just barely touching Felicity's leg. At the IT's words, the tip ran up the outer side of her calf. Her eyes shut as she waited for something to happen, but nothing else followed. She glanced up to see Talia's face was still broken out with some form of amusement.

"We have been wondering how Oliver was keeping up with all of us," Talia continued. "I will say you are a bit unexpected."

"Because I'm female?" Felicity snapped, finding a bit of courage, but she flinched back when Talia moved.

"No because you're meek," she laughed. "I haven't even cut you yet, and you're ready to spill everything on your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," the blonde argued ready to protect Oliver to the death. However when those words left her mouth, it made her wonder exactly what they were… she kept praying Oliver had lifted the lock on the Foundry and was on his way here. He would save her; he always found a way to swoop in at the last minute.

"Even so," the hunter shrugged. "You're terrified." That brought a larger smile to Talia's face as she lifted the sword to touch Felicity's cheek. "Ooo… Don't move." That caused Felicity to freeze even as she felt the burning sensation of the blade cutting into her face. It wasn't deep, and it wouldn't scar most likely, but Talia enjoyed the way a blade could tease the skin.

"What do you want?" Felicity asked.

"From you? Nothing," Talia shrugged setting the blade against Felicity's knee. "From Oliver? Nothing."

"Then why are you here?"

"My job," Talia said unwilling to divulge anything else. She wasn't an idiot, and she wasn't going to spill her entire plan to the blonde. Her alliance with Slade had to remain in the dark until just the right moment, but it wasn't like the IT girl was going to walk out of here alive. Talia had already decided that it would just kill the emerald archer to see one of his own mutilated beyond recognition. Perhaps he'd learn then to stay out of League business, and then, she could quickly finish off Malcolm. After all, the twenty League soldiers were set to arrive tomorrow morning, and following that, they were due at Slade's. She had to at least follow her father's last order before all chaos broke out; he wanted Malcolm dead, so be it. "So how quickly do you want to die?"

Felicity tightened up, as the hunter leaned in to continue speaking. "I can make it rather quick, but I do prefer to hear a few screams before I end it all. How do you think your archer will react to your remains scattered across the top of Queen Consolidated's conference table?"

Somewhere deep in Felicity, she found it in her to have a moment of fight. She closed her eyes and slammed her head forward, effectively head-butting the hunter. Talia stumbled away, a snarl on her face and blood dripping from her cheekbone where the skin had broken. Felicity felt woozy, but at least, she had done something.

"Get away from her!" a new voice snapped, and for a moment, Felicity thought Oliver really had come. However, she quickly realized it had been a girl's voice, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Sara standing there. Relief flooded Felicity nonetheless.

"So you're my sister's plaything?" Talia tsked, wiping the blood off her face with the back of her sleeve. "Is she by chance with you?" The hunter flipped her sword around her hand. "No, she left you to deal with me?"

"She can't involve herself in League business," Sara hissed, her own bo-staff in hand. She was doing a spectacular job of keeping her fear hidden.

"Well she can, but then she'd be just as much of a traitor as you are," Talia grinned. "And I'd have to kill her."

"Felicity be ready to run," Sara said just as Talia moved in. She barely had time to raise her bo-staff to block the sword; however, she couldn't block the kick to her abdomen and she skidded back. Before she had the chance to replant her feet, Talia came at her again; this time slamming her elbow into Sara's chest then bringing it up into the chin. The hunter was ruthless and meticulous in every attack. There had already been three instances that Sara could count where Talia could have just as easily killed her; she was being toyed with.

Using her sonic device, she hoped to get some room to recover, but Talia laughed and kicked Sara high across the face. Leaning down, the hunter tangled her hand in the Canary's hair and pulled the ex-member back to her knees. Talia removed the sonic device before showing Sara the earplugs in her ear.

"I had expected more," Talia admitted, but before she had a chance to say more, Sara found it in her to slam her fist into Talia's knee and effectively collapse it. She rushed away towards Felicity, and she was able to get out one throwing knife before Talia had her again. One of Felicity's bonds was sliced clean, and the IT girl worked quickly to free her other hand and both feet.

"Delete the markov files!" Sara ordered. Their lives were forfeit if only they could destroy the blueprints in an attempt to slow the hunters' plans. "The flash…" Sara block the sword with her forearm; the blade cut deep but did not penetrate the bone.

"Stop her if you would," Talia said, and two more hunters emerged from the shadows and seized Felicity. "This has been… boring. But your body will help to emphasize the point to Oliver I suppose."

Before the Al Ghul could raise her sword again, the entire room filled with tear gas. All parties broke out coughing, and Sara held her breath and kicked Talia as hard as she could away. Felicity fell to her knees, eyes watering, but she found it in her to grab the flash drive in the computer and smash it into the ground and then break the computer tower. There was a chance information could still be saved, but it was something.

Felicity then noticed a hand on her shoulder, and she went to struggle except it pulled her from the room, and Sara too. They staggered up the stairs into the lobby and out into the street, and when Felicity looked, she saw Nyssa standing there. Sara stared in shock before another coughing fit took over.

"We must leave before they come after you," Nyssa explained showing the stolen car to her comrades. If Talia discovered what she had just done…

"What about Helena?" Sara asked between gasps as she climbed into the passenger seat and Felicity in the back. Before Nyssa could respond, the Canary noticed the Huntress in the car unconscious.

"I could not leave you," was all Nyssa said before driving away. "Let us hope that Oliver has removed the lockdown by now."

Back inside the basement, Talia finally kicked the two cans of tear gas away and out of the room. She pushed her other hunters up the stairs where they were able to quickly clear their lungs. Talia looked anything but happy. While she didn't have proof, she had a feeling that her sister had intervened. Oliver seemed more of the type to stay and fight, and Malcolm would have tried to use that window to his advantage… not that it would have worked.

"It is good you warned me that they were coming," Talia frowned.

"You made copies?" Kali asked, to which the lead hunter nodded.

"I also moved the markov device for safekeeping," she explained.

"This place is no longer secure," Reese scowled. He had liked this building. It was nicer than where they usually stayed.

"Destroy the building, fire would be effective," Talia ordered. "Then we will move."

"Our plans?" Kali questioned.

"We will move them up," Talia said. "I think it's time I made a house call to a certain archer. He needs to learn what it means when he or his team interfere with us." The other two hunters smiled at her words.

…..

Viper sat in the shadows, watching over Thea. The younger Queen had retreated into the house of her boyfriend, and had yet to emerge. There was no possibility that Thea had ditched Viper, so the hunter wasn't worried. The text she received from Talia though was disconcerting. Someone had found their base; it seemed impossible… Everything was being moved to their secondary base, including the markov device. Viper wished she knew why they had this device; it had too high of casualties for Ra's to ever let them us. And Talia wasn't exactly a good Samaritan, so she hadn't taken it to keep it out of other people's hands. The thought of leveling a city even made Viper uncomfortable.

A branch breaking had Viper turning, arrow notched in a heartbeat. Standing there behind her was none other than Slade Wilson. Viper did not lower her bow; she did not trust the man, and while they had agreed to stay out of each other's way, she did not know what he had planned. The hunters had not cared about Moira's death, but they needed Thea alive for Malcolm.

"I was told Reese was supposed to be on watch tonight," Slade explained, and that caused Viper to lower her bow an inch. Not many people knew the names of the hunters.

"He is easily bored," Viper explained. "What do you want Mr. Wilson?"

"Did your leader not tell you that I would be here tonight?" Slade asked, and Viper could have confirmed it, but she decided not to. She had not realized that Talia was on speaking terms with Slade, and while it wasn't strictly prohibited to work with Deathstroke, Ra's was not a fan of personal vendettas. Viper's terms had been considered all right since they had agreed to simply stay out of each other's way and nothing else.

"We simply want to be sure that you continue to follow our terms," Viper said instead neither revealing whether or not she knew. Thea was Oliver's sister, and Slade had made it clear what he wanted there.

"I am not planning to kill the girl," he grinned. "I only want to have a conversation with her."

"Be sure that's all it is," Viper growled. She didn't want to tangle with someone who had mirakuru in their system, but Talia had made it clear about Thea.

Slade considered the hunter; Talia had warned him about Viper and her stricter code. He had thought that the Al Ghul had at least informed her inferiors about him, but apparently not. He did not mind letting that cat out of the bag; after all, he knew what was in store for Viper if she did not yield to Talia. Shado stood behind him silently, also observing the hunter with a bored curiosity. The League was always an enigma, but at least, they had their uses. Twenty League members infused with mirakuru on top of the escaped convicts that he already had would make for a formidable to near unstoppable force.

"Well," Viper indicated when Slade hadn't responded; he grinned and walked away after that. The hunter sat perfectly still, eyes peeled for any sign of danger.

Slade walked up to the door and politely knocked. Thea had half-expected another visit from the hunter, and she knew that the assassin was still outside. She had been tempted to tell the woman to observe her from inside the house; it was creepy having someone on the outside. Thea could practically feel the eyes.

When she opened the door and saw Slade standing there, she went to slam it shut immediately, but he blocked it with ease and forced his way in. This was it; he had come to finish the job. However a small part of her mind reminded her that if that was true, Viper would be in here. The hunter had made it clear that Thea was to stay alive… for Malcolm. That thought caused a shudder to run down her spine.

"No need to be rude," Slade said.

"You killed my mother!" Thea screeched, her voice faltering. There was nowhere to go or escape.

"Perhaps," Slade said remembering a familiar conversation all those years ago aboard the Amazo.

"It's your fault. Get out!" she growled, half terrified and half fuming. "You shot her."

"Your brother could have stopped me. Could have saved her, could have saved Shado," Slade remarked. He found the house they were currently in to be a bit disgusting. He placed his hands behind his back in an attempt to look less intimidating. It would do no good if the girl was too fearful to listen to what he had to say. "Your brother could have done something."

"You had him tied up," she argued.

"It wouldn't be his first time escaping," he said. "Your brother is a talented man. He could have gotten free and could have saved her. Try to be this hero he so desperately thinks he is. Allow me to let you in on a little secret, he's no hero. He's a killer."

"I don't understand," Thea whispered, she saw a knife on the table. If she could cross the room, she would at least have something to defend herself with. However the next words out of Slade's mouth froze every inch of her… including her mind.

Slade specifically avoided saying 'brother' this time. This man was a brother to no one, and Slade would make Thea see it. He would give her the ability to understand what her sibling truly was and how Oliver could have done something. Instead, he had done nothing; Oliver was a coward and had no honor to Slade. This was why the mercenary overly enjoyed saying, "Oliver Queen is the Arrow."

**Note:** Wow what a chapter. Phew. So yep I changed Laurel finding out to Thea because I did not understand Slade telling Laurel. By the end of the season, she had to come to re-accept the vigilante. Thea, however- another thing planned since chapter 1.  
So I won't lie the small fight between Talia and Sara was unplanned. I had originally wrote an in and out scene, but I decided Talia wasn't a runner. She had been "found" out so to speak, so I decided to just have a small taste of what's to come. I hope you enjoyed this. Lots to still come with some fallout from this chapter: Helena, Nyssa, Viper, Thea. Lots of things discovered here. And Oliver will be back.  
Finally for those curious, this story is near its end. I don't think it will go much past 60-65 chapters. Don't quote me on that though (I though this would originally be like 30).


	48. Good-Byes

**Chapter 48**

Oliver leaned back against the table surveying his handiwork. It might have taken a few hours, but he had finally rerouted the power and successfully lifted the lockdown. In the end, he only sported a few electrical burns for his trouble and one swollen cheekbone. He currently had ice against it to solve that problem.

Scattered around the room were two tables broken into pieces, and next to Oliver sat Malcolm also nursing an icepack. Strangely enough they hadn't actually fought; it was just one huge cluster of accidents that led to the bruises and broken tables. To completely restore power to the club, Oliver had Malcolm climb up the rafters, but since there wasn't an easy way up, they had stacked the tables to try and make it easier.

"Not a word," Malcolm had warned, but his tone held more amusement then contempt. His back still ached from where he had fallen on it; if he hadn't been suddenly shocked when the power had been restored, he wouldn't have fell and broken the one table. The other table… well neither Malcolm nor Oliver were entirely sure how that one ended up smashed.

Oliver shook his head. "Wasn't planning on it. I already deleted the footage on the back-up system." A piece of table had flung off and hit him in the face, and if the rest of the team ever found out about this, they would never live it down. He could do the salmon ladder, up and down, in a few minutes top, so he wasn't ready to admit he couldn't have dodged a chunk of table.

"Will they ask?" Malcolm questioned as he rotated his shoulder.

"We'll just tell them if they do that we got into it over something," he shrugged nonchalantly. They'd believe it; after all, it was a miracle that the two archers hadn't ended up at each other's throats. They had been easily locked together for a few hours, though Oliver was unsure of the exact time.

With the lockdown over, the two were free to leave, but they had stayed in an attempt to raise the comm system back up. Something had been blocking the signal, and thus whatever it was hadn't disappeared. They were completely in the dark where the rest of the team was or what had actually occurred that night.

"Oh good you did figure out," Felicity's voice drifted down into the Foundry as she bounded down three steps at a time. She didn't even run to Oliver but her destroyed computer system instead. Her face said it all, and he touched her shoulder gently.

Just outside Nyssa and Sara spoke. The League member knew that just beneath her feet sat Malcolm Merlyn, and she was half-tempted to go down there and finish what the hunters were here for. She remembered being kidnapped by him, and how she glared told him that it was far from ever being forgotten; however, there were other important matters to discuss first and foremost. Her sister's actions worried her, and she couldn't dwell long. Nyssa had basically attacked her sister; she needed to leave town before Talia tracked her down again.

"She took it so that she would have the opportunity to kill her father," Nyssa frowned, her hand on Sara's waist, contempt in her voice. Her loyalty was unwavering to her own father, so she couldn't grasp Helena's reasons entirely.

"Yes," Sara confirmed with a nod. Just thirty minutes ago, they had dropped Helena off at a hospital, and Nyssa was still trying to understand exactly what had spurred all of this.

"Talia most likely has the markov device," she explained. "However it would be against the entire League code to use the device in any manner." She trailed off near the end indicating that while her words were true that didn't mean that Talia was about to follow said code. "I need to return to my father."

"I'll go with you," Sara said, her own hand coming up to tangle in Nyssa's hair.

"You cannot return unless you are planning to join us again," she said. "And if you do, I will not be able to release you a second time." They kept each other close. "I must try and speak with my father on these matters."

"Will he believe you?"

"There is nothing to believe, Ta-er. The hunters have done nothing against our code yet," she sighed. "But I will do what I can to try and force him to call my sister back to Nanda Parbet." Their lips gently touched, and Sara hated good-byes. This could very well be the last time she saw the Al Ghul, and she suddenly realized that it was the last thing she wanted. If only Nyssa wasn't League or Ra's's daughter… or… but it didn't matter because all of those were true. Nyssa would never leave the League, and Sara would just have to accept this might be there last moment together. "You must be careful." Nyssa touched Sara's cheek. "Talia should not go out of her way to hunt you down now that you are free, but if you tempt her…"

"Be careful," Sara interrupted. They both knew Sara would do what she had to for her friends and family as well- loyalty. An admirable trait in the League.

"I will try to return," she promised, but it was most likely an empty one. Ra's would not allow his daughter to constantly visit Starling. They both knew this, and that was why they clung to each other.

When they finally did pry apart, Sara headed downstairs, and when she glanced back, she was happy to see Nyssa still standing there watching. It took everything in her to break eye contact and head down the stairs. "Your ex-girlfriend is something else Oliver," Sara growled once in earshot.

"Ex-girlfriend?" Oliver asked, more towards Felicity. He then noticed the small cut on her head, and he ran his thumb softly against it. The blood had clotted awhile back, but it would eventually swell to a nasty bump. "What exactly happened?"

"Helena," Sara said, and it clicked into place for Oliver. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself.

"What did she do?" he said, each word emphasized in his anger.

"She destroyed my computer," Felicity started with a frown.

"Broke into Queen Consolidated applied sciences department," Sara said overtop Felicity. "She was going after information on the markov device." That word caused everyone to flinch except for Malcolm who looked thoughtful. "She 'said' she didn't know what she had been stealing."

"Oliver," Sara said pulling his attention away from Felicity. "Helena was working for Talia."

"Does this mean that the hunters have the markov device?" Malcolm asked.

"Nyssa believes so," Sara admitted, and she watched Malcolm reach for his bow. "She has already left. She thinks she might be able to talk to her father."

"Ra's wants my head too much," Malcolm growled. "He won't call the hunters off as long as they haven't done anything to warrant it."

Oliver could agree with that, and he frowned as more pieces ended up on the board with no connection. They had Slade on one hand who's priorities were clear, but Talia… it didn't make much sense as to why she would want the markov device, but he wasn't about to ignore this tidbit. "Is Helena still alive?"

"Barely," Sara answered. "The hunters poisoned her, but she's currently at the hospital under guard."

Oliver nodded. There was no chance he'd get to talk to her tonight, but if she pulled through, he would pull a few strings and get the chance to see her. On one hand, he wanted to see how she was dealing, and on the other, he felt bad for how everything had turned out. Diggle had been right that some people just don't want to claw their way out of the darkness. When Oliver lost everything and ended up on the island, he had almost lost himself too, but he had found it in himself to be better.

Looking down at Felicity was just another reminder of that. Not caring that other people were around, he touched the back of her neck and pulled their foreheads together to rest. He was rather relaxed with the position until Felicity said way too happily, "I head-butted Talia." And he felt his heart stop.

…..

Talia had wanted to go to the Foundry as soon as the girls had escaped, but she had restrain. She could bide her time; tomorrow, the League members would arrive. Once they were settled, she would visit Oliver and his team. As long as Malcolm was there, she could slaughter all of them for being in her way. Loopholes and the code went hand-in-hand, and until she had taken the League by force, she had to tread carefully. She loved her father, and she didn't want him to hear of her plans until the last possible moment. By then, he would have to see her brilliance and agree. Talia's hand brushed gently against the markov device as these thoughts flowed through her head.

"We cannot find her," Kali sighed as she landed silently next to Talia. "Nyssa has vanished."

"She's is on her way home," Talia said confidently.

"Should we hunt her down?" Reese asked.

"She's seen nothing," the head hunter smiled. "Father will not take her at her word, but we shouldn't linger much longer. As soon as our brethren are here, be sure they get to Slade."

"And the device?" Kali asked. They hadn't had any time to upgrade the machine just yet, and she was itching to get her hands on it.

Talia looked at it, smiling. In return for her own soldiers with mirakuru, she had promised Slade help with this city, and now that she was here, she had seen how deep his contempt had run for Oliver. She wasn't supposed to touch the archer, and she had done well with that thus far. Nonetheless, he was a thorn in her side, and she wanted him eliminated; however, she wasn't ready to just cut her alliance with Slade yet; Deathstroke was too valuable for that… so for now, she would continue to play along. She regretted the lost opportunity of slicing up that IT and sending her piece by piece to Oliver. That would have crushed him, she was certain. Touching her cheek, her thoughts boiled; now when she killed the blonde, it would be even sweeter. When she took the Foundry, she would kill Ms. Smoak in front of Oliver and Thea in front of Malcolm.

"Get the device ready," Talia ordered finally stepping away. "Then place it in the sewers beneath Queen Consolidated." Slade wanted Oliver's company destroyed, and since Isabel had failed thus far to take it, Talia had kindly suggested another option. Plus, she wanted to test the device before moving it out of the country for her own purposes.

….

Nyssa stood silently near the small plane. She had personally hired a pilot to take her out of the city quietly. He was apparently one of the best pilots, and he worked without question as long as the money was good enough and it didn't look like one was doing anything too illegal. She was just waiting on final checks.

"Miss?" the pilot asked stepping around towards her. He had a cocky grin as he ran his eyes up and down her in obvious appreciation. The assassin sighed and put up with it for the most part; her contempt must have been easily noticed as he backed off. "We're almost ready to go," he replied a moment later, a bit more serious.

"Thank-you Mr. Jordan," she said politely as he moved away to finish fueling. He wouldn't be taking her directly there, but to an airstrip that she could connect to a larger flight without ARGUS interceding. From there, she was sure some of her father's own hand-picked members would be waiting for her. He had to already know that she was returning; that was just how he was.

"I must say I did not expect you to protect your little bird from even your own sister," Viper said stepping into the garage the plane sat in. Nyssa didn't have her bow on her but in her bag; however, she did have a knife hidden in her loose coat. The hunter seemed to realize that and held up her hands to show she was weaponless… not that it mattered much for a hunter. "I came to talk."

"Does Talia know you're here?" Nyssa asked.

Viper sighed nervously, "No. She believes I am still watching Thea Queen." She watched the Al Ghul's surprise get quickly suppressed. "Mr. Merlyn returned, and he is more than adequate to be sure she does not get herself killed." As it was, the young girl had passed out a few hours ago. Dawn was approaching, and whatever Slade had said to the girl had only added to that exhaustion. The hunter did not expect the girl to rise anytime soon. She hadn't seen Malcolm directly, but her instincts had told her that someone else was there watching and protecting. A few hours away would most likely not result in the girl's death anyway.

"What are you doing here then?"

"As I said to talk," Viper said with a respectful bow of her head. "About your sister."

They both knew exactly what they had to talk about. "Do you think she will use the device?" Nyssa asked. It might have been her own sister, but Talia had grown alongside the hunters more than her. Viper had a better shot of guessing what the eldest Al Ghul's plans were exactly.

"We are bound by the Code," Viper said, her words uncertain. She didn't want to speak directly against a daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, but with how things had begun to fall in Starling, Viper knew she couldn't sit back. Hence why she herself had tracked Nyssa, which for Viper had not been that difficult. She only had to activate one of Nyssa's own tracking arrows to do it.

"Alec," Nyssa said wanting the most truthful answer she could get.

Viper nodded. "Your sister has always been purposeful in her movements, and I do not believe this to be anything less than that. She did not take the device to keep it out of other's hands." She then added, "But your sister is loyal to your father. I'm not certain what she's planning."

"I am going to speak with my father," Nyssa explained.

"She has not done anything wrong yet," she pointed out. "He will not intervene without proof." If there was anything to find. For all Viper knew, Talia was just covering every base possible to keep Malcolm from escaping again. And it was Slade's word that the hunter and he were working together. There was no solid evidence that Talia had broken any of the codes set by the League, and while Talia had always been loose with said code, she had never broken it prior. She was completely loyal to Ra's; she just enjoyed a bit more of a massacre in her duties.

"Find some then," she ordered. She paused before adding, "And try to keep Sara safe."

"Nyssa," Viper said, "Talia is my better." What that actually meant was that not only was Talia her superior while away from Ra's but also that Talia could kill Viper if she intervened. The hunter could place herself between Talia and whatever the plan was but it would be a death sentence.

"And you are bound by my father's code," Nyssa said firmly, and Viper nodded.

If Talia broke the Code or already had, it was Viper's job as a hunter to bring Talia to her father for justice, and if she couldn't, she would have to try and kill Talia depending on how grievous the charge was. It wouldn't matter that Talia would kill Viper when she tried; it was her job.

**Note:** I decided to hold off on Helena and Thea fallout, only because these chapters have been taking place in the dead of the night. Might want the sun up for some of this story. So Thea, Helena, and some Olicity next chapter. After all poor Felicity lost her computer (twice) and her apartment. Where will she live now?

Also high-five to anyone gets the "secret" reference I left in this chapter. I couldn't help myself.


	49. Crumbling

**Chapter 49**

Thea woke with a startled gasp and was immediately assaulted with the unfamiliar scents of her bedroom. She sat up quickly ignoring the feeling of vertigo as she did so, and she worked to steady herself. With a deep breath, she realized that she was still in Roy's house, and that she had fallen asleep here. Memories of last night came rushing back, and she tried to swallow the bile that was threatening to climb up her throat.

There was no way her brother was the Arrow; he had told her himself during his arrest that he wasn't that nut job… or was it that he asked her if she thought he could actually do those things. She laid her head in her hands, not caring to check to see if Slade was really gone. He hadn't stayed long after delivering his news; instead, he had sauntered off, laughing as he did. In the darkness from the window, she had seen Viper still watching her, but the hunter did not move to intercede Slade. Soon after, Thea had collapsed from the emotional roller-coaster and had gotten a fitful night's rest.

It just didn't make sense that her brother was the vigilante. He was different from the island, but she had never truly entertained the idea that he dressed up at night to hunt down criminals. The more she tried to convince herself that Slade had been lying, the more proof that seemed to come together from her past. All the nights he would go missing, the random and abrupt calls to work, and the exhaustion. The Oliver that came back from the island had not been the brother she remember, but she couldn't quite grasp that he was a complete stranger and vigilante.

Deciding that she had to hear it again, she stood on shaky legs and threw open Roy's door only to be greeted by the sun. The sounds of car horns, birds, and people shouting surrounded her, but the one thing, person, she wanted to find was nowhere in sight. Viper must have left during the night or when the sun came up, and Thea scowled. The one time she wanted the hunter around, they weren't. There, of course, was one other person she could ask, but her brother hadn't given her the truth the last time so why would he now?

Thankfully, her car was back where it belonged, so Thea grabbed her bag from the house and threw it in the back-set. Unable to help herself, she checked the trunk for bodies to find it had been completely steam cleaned. Actually, the entire car looked as though it had a brand new interior, and sitting casually in the center of the trunk was a folded note. It simply read 'Thank-you for your assistance Ms. Queen'. Somehow the situation was amusing to Thea, who let out a small choked laugh as she crumbled the note and tossed it away. Her entire world was collapsing, and she didn't know how to stop it.

Thea kept it together all the way to her house and even through the shower. She shook with the attempt of concealing her emotions, but otherwise, there was no outward appearance that something was wrong. Everything about her movements were mechanical, and she went through the beginning part of her day without breaking. After getting something to eat though, she locked herself into her room but for once left the window unlocked. She hoped that the assassin would see this and come speak with her. Viper hadn't lied to her yet… Until then, Thea sat on her bed unblinking as she stared at the wall.

….

"Oliver," Helena dryly laughed when the elder Queen entered her hospital room. Just outside was two armed police officers, and they were on the fifteenth floor. She wasn't getting out of this, and with her father dead, she wasn't exactly trying. Nonetheless, she had just woken up an hour ago to her surprise, and she hadn't even regained enough of her strength to attempt an escape. "Come to see if your secret is safe?" The words tumbled out in contempt.

He checked that the door was securely shut before approaching the bed and sitting on the very edge. For a moment, he considered the young woman in front of him; gone was the rage and instead confusion had taken hold. She wasn't as broken as Diggle claimed her to be, but the veil of anger that had rested on her soul had taken a chunk out of her that was certain.

"I came to check on you," he said, letting her see it was the truth. While it had been a difficult break, he recognized a small part of himself in her. Without direction and cause, he could have just as easily become her or Malcolm, and he had come to accept that fact. However, he wasn't them, and he also understood this. "Is your father dead?"

Helena hesitated before hissing out a, "yes." Her eyes risked watering, but she held it back. "I thought…" He reached and grabbed her hand in a gesture of support, and they met gazes again. "I thought I'd feel different."

"His death will never satisfy that part of you that misses your fiancé," Oliver said knowingly. Ivo had died, and Shado's death haunted him- quite literally now with Slade's return. "I'm sorry," he continued to her shock. "I wish you had found the peace you wanted."

Her hand intertwined with his, and she nodded meekly. "Will the pain ever fade?"

He thought of his own, and the nightmares that still plagued him at night… however, they had lessened with the addition of Felicity into his life, and he had finally gotten a restful night's sleep before Slade's return. "It will dull," he admitted. "You won't ever forget him, and you can't replace him."

Helena snorted. "But what?" she asked knowing what was coming. "I can find someone else?" To this, he frowned but murmured his agreement. "I don't know how to let go of all this rage. It's inside me, and I can't get it out."

"You'll learn to control it," he explained thinking back on his own days. "And slowly, you'll find a way to replace it." Somehow this got through to her, and she sighed deeply.

"I'm going away for quite some time," she dryly laughed. "And don't say you're sorry. I did this." She knew this entire situation was her fault, and at least in this, she could start to make things better. "I locked you in your Foundry."

"I figured as much."

"So I can steal that data on the markov device," she continued. "I swear I did not know what it was when I took it."

"Do you know why they want it?" He was terrified that the answer would be so they could use it.

"No, but they were willing to kill me to take it," she admitted. "Oliver, I don't know who these people are, but they're dangerous. You need to be careful."

Seeing as there wasn't much more to say, Oliver stood and freed his hand. He turned and glanced back in time for Helena to ask, "Will you visit me in prison?" A smile was adorned on her face, and he couldn't resist. Perhaps she hadn't fallen too far yet that she was out of reach. Her father dead might have just freed her in a way his methods couldn't have.

On the way out, Oliver thanked Quentin for allowing the visit, and then, he headed downstairs where Felicity was waiting impatiently. She was rocking back and forth on her feet, and he tried not to look amused. Her hair was a bit mused from sleeping in the Foundry last night, and she looked to be on the exhausted side… however tonight would be different. He'd ask her if she wanted to stay at his place.

"You're fidgeting," Oliver said once he was close enough. He felt his phone go off, but he continued to ignore it. The thing had been going off all morning.

"We need to get you to work," she frowned. "You're late… again."

He grinned and nodded following her from the hospital lobby. Once outside, he slipped his hand into hers; Helena was now forgotten from his mind and only Felicity existed. He was worried he'd hurt her, but Sara had made it clear before she left last night that they needed people in their lives, people to trust and love. He wasn't sure if she meant him or herself with Nyssa; either way, it made him think. If he wanted to beat Slade and Talia, he needed people in his life.

Once they were out of sight of the reporters flooding around the hospital and in the car, Oliver leaned over and ran a hand into Felicity's hair. She looked at him in confusion before he placed his lips on hers, and she didn't fight it. Instead, her hands fluttered on his shoulders, and he smiled against her lips.

"Is this okay?" he asked not wanting to push her. A lot had happened since that night he had spent with her, but they were still on new ground. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"Yes it's good," she said before frowning. "I mean great. It's great." They kissed again.

…..

Thea stared in the mirror, trying to understand her own reflection. She saw herself as weak; she couldn't protect her mother. Last night even, she had just let Slade into the house. He could have killed her, and what could she have done to stop him? She hated what she saw; more so, when she noticed Malcolm standing behind her dressed for once in casual business and not in his League leathers.

"I thought I told you to get out," she hissed turning.

"A few days ago," he replied with a small shrug of his shoulders. "I wanted to check in on you."

Thea let out a hoarse laugh. At this point, Malcolm had "checked" in on her more than Oliver had, and same with Viper. Perhaps, her brother was exactly what Slade said- the Arrow and not a hero. "Go away."

"Thea," he said as if he was scolding a young child. He stepped towards her only for her to snatch the knife she had used for her lunch off her desk. She held it in front of herself and planted her feet how Viper had showed her. Malcolm considered her stance for a brief second before continuing his approach; he was still better trained.

"Stay away from me," she growled, except he continued to come near her. She was tired of being ignored, of being called weak, but she waited so that she wouldn't have to lunge. Last time she had done that, Viper had laid her out flat. Balance is what the hunter had said. When he was within arm's reach, Thea shifted her feet and slashed out with the knife; this surprised Malcolm, but he still effectively caught her wrist. He didn't squeeze and force her to drop the knife; instead, he waited until she had taken a deep breath.

"You're my daughter," he said with a smile. "Tommy did something similar to this last year, but unlike you, he couldn't go through with it."

"Let. Me. Go." She snapped, but it was with less force.

Malcolm released her and stepped back, arms at his side. He could still easily protect himself, but he could see it in her eyes that while she wanted him dead, there were other things on her mind as well. "You're stronger than he was."

Thea scoffed at that, but she set the knife back on the table. She didn't think herself strong, but her eyes were drawn to the archery trophies on the wall. She hadn't really shot since Oliver had disappeared, but they reminded her that she could be better. She had the opportunity if she was only willing to go for it.

"I couldn't stop myself from being kidnapped twice," she said as she completely released the knife. "I couldn't save Mom." Her head lowered as tears threatened to spill over.

"No one could have stopped Slade," he frowned wanting nothing more than to reach out to his own flesh and blood. "He's a sociopath."

"Oliver could have," she whispered, and at first, he thought he had heard wrong. She repeated it though, "Oliver could have, couldn't he?"

"Thea," he began unsure where this all came from.

"I'm tired of being lied to," she growled raising her gaze to meet Malcolm's. "Is my brother the Arrow?" She had wanted to ask Viper, but if Malcolm gave her the truth, she'd accept it.

Malcolm thought over his options quickly. He could protect Oliver's secret by lying, but of course, there was a chance Thea was already certain about this. She could have just been asking to test him, but he didn't feel as though she was. To him, it felt like she just wanted the plain truth, and she was his daughter. He owed her that, and this could allow him some sort of control over her. He needed to protect her, and if that meant dividing her from Oliver so he could get her out of Starling- so be it. "Yes Thea. He is."

…..

As Oliver walked into the office, Felicity trailing behind him, he wasn't sure what to expect until he saw Isabel leading a board meeting. With a growl, he stormed in with the intention of throwing her out on her ass, but one smile from her stopped him in his tracks.

"Good for you to finally join us Mr. Queen," she said as she took the CEO chair. "You just missed the vote."

"What vote?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"In response to the applied sciences break-in and the discovery of markov device experiments done by the company, and no response from you, the board has voted to remove you as CEO."

His eyes widened with the implication. She continued without missing a beat. "I am the intermittent CEO." She approached him so she could whisper this in his ear. "Your company Mr. Queen is now mine."

**Note:** Okay I don't know how big companies actually work, but I'm pretty sure the entire board can vote to remove a CEO. Not fire them perhaps, but at least remove them from this position and name another in their place. If I'm wrong… well too bad.

Not a whole lot of Olicity in this cahpter, but I promise its coming up as well as Slade and Talia meet back up.


	50. Identities

**Chapter 50**

Oliver wasn't sure what was worse: discovering his company had been practically stolen from him or being escorted out by security to the eyes of reporters. The entire way out he could practically feel Isabel's smile on his back, and he couldn't believe he had lost sight of what she was doing. He didn't think that Slade had anything to do with the hunters breaking into the applied sciences, but Roschev had used it to her advantage nonetheless. According to Felicity, even she had to dig to find the markov device information, and if there was one thing Oliver remembered from the island, it was that Slade was inept at technology.

Nonetheless, his company was no longer his, and it was going to take him fighting tooth and nail to get it back. He hadn't known himself about the markov device study, and he was going to have to prove that to the board if he wanted even a shot at getting back to CEO. Then there was the whole absence he had been sporting the last few months. He had to convince them that he could do better, but first, he had to find a way to get rid of Isabel. And the only way to do that was to go after Slade… the man had ripped his family apart and now Slade was just enjoying adding to the pile. First his mother, now the company his father had built… he was terrified who would be next: Thea… Felicity… how much more could he lose? He took a deep shuddering breath and tried to calm the anger that was clawing its way through his system.

"Oliver," Felicity said as she was practically thrown out after him. She was worried; he hadn't made a sound since Isabel had made her announcement. There was a lot Felicity wanted to say about that woman, but she bit her lip and stayed quiet.

"Not now," he growled when she repeated his name. "I'm done being five steps behind Slade." He went to move away, but thankfully, she snatched his arm and forced him to whirl back. She didn't shrink away; instead, she stepped up and met his glare.

"You need to calm down," she frowned. "You can't go after him now."

Even though they were in the middle of a side walk surrounded by people, Oliver finally looked ready to explode. All the rage he had been carrying was threatening to spill out, and probably the only reason it hadn't was that this was Felicity. "And what am I supposed to do?" he hissed keeping his voice calm amidst the reports starting to flock over more. "Let him kill my sister next? I don't know what to do besides confront him."

She took his hand in hers as she found it in herself to lead him away from the crowd and to a nearby car Diggle was standing near. "You don't have to do this alone," she explained once they both were in the sitting car. Dig didn't ask any questions, but his look read that he wanted to know exactly what was going on.

"I'm putting you… everyone in danger," he argued. "He promised me that he would take everything I loved away."

"You'll stop him," Felicity stated meeting his broken gaze. The company was just one more thing, and after his mother, he was close to giving in.

Slowly, the rage drained from Oliver's face, and he sighed, "I don't…"

Felicity refused to let him finish whatever had was going to say. She leaned in and kissed him, a blush warming her cheeks. He obviously hadn't been expecting it, so he quieted and relaxed into the kiss. She pulled away slowly and made sure he was paying attention before saying, "I believe in you. But you can't go after Slade alone. You have us. You have me."

For a moment, he didn't respond, but finally, he nodded slowly and squeezed her hand. He had them, and that gave him something Slade didn't. If he was going to attack Slade directly, he needed a plan; with that in mind, he directed Diggle to head to the Foundry and to call everyone. If he could get Sara and Malcolm to help, then he had the opportunity against Slade. The man didn't know that they knew about his hideaway just yet.

"I couldn't do this without you," he whispered.

"Of course not," she said lightly. "I don't think you or Digg could even open your emails without me." To that, Oliver frowned but he didn't argue. He was relatively sure that he could, in fact, work email, but sometimes the newer smartphones did throw him a bit off. A lot tech had jumped in five years, and some of the smaller things he had forgotten how to operate. "You also owe me a new computer."

"I owe you three at this point I think," he laughed, "But I'm not sure I can afford them for much longer, so we better get it set up as soon as possible."

"And my apartment," she added. "It sort of got exploded. Insurance I'm sure will blame me."

"That's easy enough," he said gruffly. "You'll just stay with me…" When he saw her eyes widen, he quickly explained, "Not in my room of course. We have a lot of rooms at the mansion. You don't have to… unless you want to…" He shut himself up; he couldn't believe how Felicity could reduce him to babbling. "I haven't gone back since my Mom…" He felt terrible; he hadn't talked to Thea at all.

"I think… I think I'd like to stay with you," she said trying to pull his thoughts from his Mom. She could see the pain as plain as day. "I mean in your room… if you'd… you know… have me… not like that, unless you wanted to. But I meant sleeping with you, as in next to you."

He nodded and tried not to chuckle. At least, they both stumbled over their words around the other. He leaned his forehead against hers. The rest of the world could have been on fire, but he didn't know anything outside this moment here with Felicity. She grounded him, and with her, he truly began to believe he had a chance against Slade. He'd do whatever he could to protect her and the rest of his friends and family. Even if he gave up, Slade wouldn't stop nor would the hunters. The only way to end this was for Oliver to end it himself…

The cure wasn't ready yet, but Oliver didn't need the cure if he went through with killing the man… Tommy couldn't fault him for this. Slade had to be stopped. As did the hunters. Tommy would forgive him, Oliver was certain of that, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to forgive himself…

…

"Talia," Slade greeted as he leaned back in his chair. They hadn't spoken much lately, but it was expected. Their plans coincided; they weren't ruled by the other.

The hunter stood quietly in the middle of the office, one hand on her sword, the other on a hidden knife. Nearby and unbeknownst to the mercenary were the Kali and Reese. They were not comfortable with the idea that their leader was alone in a room with a man half-insane. If anything went wrong, they were ready to move and intervene on the meeting. Talia had made mention that this could go either way.

"My men have arrived," Talia said, her eyes locked onto the man. She was not a fool, and she wanted to be careful with what she said next. While her plans were not entirely dependent on Slade, his help would graciously push hers forward. "They are on their way here." Since they were entirely loyal to her, it had been easy for her to explain to them to play nice with the Australian, but if he tried to betray her first, they would put him down in her name.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, his head tilted as he considered her. "But wouldn't have a phone call been adequate?" He had just recently heard from Isabel and her successful take-over… finally. He didn't understand what had taken her so long; it had been a simple task.

Talia knew it was these words that could set him off. They were starting to cross into the other's territory after all. "I am going to confront Oliver tonight in his base."

The mug Slade had been holding cracked, and Talia's hand tightened around her sword. She watched as he mechanically stood and faced her in front of his desk. In the shadows, the other two hunters tensed. "I thought I made it clear…"

The hunter easily interrupted; the show of force didn't frighten her, and she wasn't about to be bullied. "Oliver is yours, yes. I am not planning on killing the boy, but Malcolm is there as is Oliver's blonde IT. She is skilled, more so than we originally thought. She has to be taken care of."

"I am going to destroy him," Slade growled.

"And I don't dispute that," she responded as though she was calming a feral dog. "But it is my job to deal with Malcolm, and consider it a gift that I am sending my hunters to deal with this computer tech."

Slade narrowed his one eye and nodded. "As long as we're clear…" Shado was tensed behind him; she wasn't a fan of the hunters.

"I will not kill Oliver Queen, on my honor," Talia said.

"Your honor means nothing," he hissed, and it took everything to keep Talia rooted to her spot.

"On my father's then," she said, her patience running thin That seemed to calm the mercenary, but Talia wasn't about to let anything go unsaid that could come back on her. "I cannot guarantee him in perfect health though. If he interferes and he will, I reserve the right to make him regret every breath after while I'm there."

"I'd expect nothing less of a hunter," Slade said. There was a limit to their push and pull, but he couldn't expect an Al Ghul to let Oliver get one up on her just for their deal. Anyway now that he thought of it, this could actually help him. He had seen how Oliver stared at the blonde IT girl; her death could crush the last of his spirit…

"He'll beg you for his death," Shado grinned with the thought. "And you can finally rip my hood off of him."

"We are also planning to execute his sister for Malcolm Meryln's crimes," she continued, and this didn't seem to faze Slade. She wasn't shocked by that; Viper had informed her on arrival that it had been Mr. Wilson who had divulged that bit of information. He wouldn't have done that if he hadn't wanted them to use it. "With that," she smiled, "I'll be leaving. Viper still needs to be informed on what she's doing tonight."

"And will your two bodyguards be going with?" Slade asked, and Talia didn't show an ounce of shock that Reese and Kali had been found out. They dropped from their hiding spots.

"We will," Reese responded. He didn't hide his contempt for the mercenary well. The three turned, still ready for an attack when Slade spoke again,

"And what of the markov device? I know you have it."

"We have already moved it from the city," Talia lied with a barely hid roll of her eyes. "We plan to test it once our business is concluded." He seemingly bought the lie and returned to his seat behind his desk. Neither really trusted the other, but again for the moment, they had need of each other. Talia didn't doubt that once he figured he was finished with her, he would try and kill her. She almost felt pity since he would be long dead before then. Once her own League members were ready and she had the opportunity to see what they could do (via Slade's plan for the city), she would turn on him. He was too dangerous of a foe. Currently her and Slade's plans coincided, but when it was finished, she had every intention of burying him. He was a mercenary, a man the League would have eventually gone after. Now it would be her League that would end him, but only when his usefulness to her ended. Once he was dead, she would kill Oliver then return to Nanda Parbet to confront her father with her vision for the future. He had to see it her way once she showed him the ease of how they could deal with their enemies.

…..

Oliver entered the Foundry right after leaving the company; he didn't even think to go home. If he had, he would have seen half the house was trashed. Thea had snapped following Malcolm's reveal. She had expected him to lie to her, to try and manipulate her; she hadn't really thought he would tell her that Oliver was the Arrow. She had responded the only way she knew how… by tearing Oliver's room apart looking for proof. She couldn't just take Malcolm at his word, so she had again thrown him, figuratively, from her room then gone to her brother's.

It had taken a few hours and lots of yelling at their hired help to leave her alone, but she had found what she had hoped to not find. In her hand sat a single green arrow… one of the vigilante's arrows… her brother's arrow. She gripped the shaft tightly, and if it hadn't been carbon fiber, she was sure she would have snapped it in half.

Now that she had her proof, Thea couldn't look past her anger. Her own brother could have saved their mother, he shot Roy… and now their mother was dead and Roy was in a medically induced coma. Her brother had failed her in every way. She had kept waiting for him to come home and stop her search and talk to her… instead, he had left her and this had happened. Now, she didn't want to see him.

Thea hoped her brother didn't come home; if he did, she wasn't sure if she could control her actions entirely. There had been so much she had wanted to say… now she only wanted to know why? Why Slade had done this, and why hadn't her brother stopped it.

"You need to breath," Viper instructed leaning in the window, balancing precariously on the edge. "You need to focus."

"I am focused," Thea hissed. "My brother…"

"Is the Arrow, yes," Viper sighed. "But your anger is clouding your thoughts. Breath and focus."

Thea whirled on the hunter, again finding her courage. "Does everyone know but me? Did my Mom know?"

The hunter cocked her head and nodded. "To my knowledge, yes, she did." Again, Viper saw no reason to conceal the truth from the girl, but she had to be sure that the younger woman calmed. People that were running high on emotions had a tendency to do foolish and dangerous things, and Viper was busy tonight. She had been given orders to infiltrate the Foundry and to take everyone there alive.

"Why does everyone lie to me?" Thea practically shouted throwing the arrow away, and it stuck partially into the dry board. It wasn't a terrible shot considering the girl had done it with her hand with little to no practice in the art. Viper couldn't help but think how well Thea would do with a set of throwing knives.

"Perhaps because you act like this," she responded entering the room and retrieving the arrow. It was always good to know about her enemies weapons. The type of arrow could reveal potential flaws in his form, and Thea didn't stop her from taking it. Instead, the younger Queen stood defiantly, fists clenched at her sides; Viper sighed and turned towards her. The hunter didn't really have time for this.

"Like what?" she growled.

"Like a dejected five year old. Look at yourself, you're throwing a temper tantrum because your brother didn't tell you about his _secret_ identity."

"He lied to me! He could have saved her."

"Now who's lying?" Viper asked, more softly. She wasn't about to get into a shouting match with the younger Queen. "Your brother was just as tied up as you were if not more."

"You were there?"

"Of course. Your life has worth to us." Viper had been ordered only to intercede that night if Oliver chose his mother over Thea, but no one had actually believed he'd make any choice. They had been correct, in the very least, of that assumption. That night the plan had always been for Moira to die, but Talia had been adamant that someone be there as a safety precaution.

"So you can kill me for Mr. Merlyn's crimes," she scoffed, and Viper shrugged.

"It is our society operates Ms. Queen. Blood for blood. Your life has more worth than his own in his eyes, so your life is more valuable to take. I promise you though when that time comes we will make it as quick and painless as possible." Viper prided herself on keeping those promises.

Thea somehow took this in stride and nodded, starting to calm down. She didn't want to act like a child anymore; Viper's words had struck her properly. She had constantly said she wanted to be stronger and that included emotionally. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself for the moment. "There's no way around this?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper. No one relished their own death.

"If your brother kills all of us," Viper began, but Thea shook her head.

"There's nothing I can do to stop it?" she asked, and the hunter frowned. Blood for blood did work one other way, but it was not possible in this situation. Somehow, Thea read this on Viper's face and continued, "How?" When the hunter didn't immediately answer, she pressed, "I deserve to at least know, don't I?"

The assassin nodded at that. "Blood for blood requires that you bear the punishment because of your lineage. The concept is that people are oddly protective of family, so the death or torture of someone they love is supposed to be more of a punishment then their own death. However, the League has also learned that another thing can cause just as much anguish…"

"And that is?"

"Blood for blood also allows those related to carry out the punishment instead. For your life to be spared, you would have to kill Malcolm," she explained. Of course, it was a bit more complicated than that as this route only applied to League members; it was a way to sometimes spare some of their better members. Nature didn't always deserve a say in how the League carried out their punishments since there were cases where family members truly did not care for the other. Then, there was the case that Malcolm's punishment was a lot more than just death. However, the hunter didn't say this. "Now Ms. Queen, I am expected elsewhere."

"Are you going after my brother?" she asked, her mind obviously now focused on what the hunter had just revealed.

Viper didn't directly answer; instead she said, "Good day Ms. Queen." With that, the hunter left Thea to stew in her thoughts, and she sat on the bed surrounded by the wreakage she had wrought upon herself. More than anything, she suddenly wanted her brother home. She was angry with him, but she hoped that the hunters didn't kill him. He still meant the world to her, and she wasn't sure if she could deal with his death again.

That in mind, she reached for her phone and shot off a text attempting to warn Oliver of what was potentially coming. She needed him home alive if they were going to talk…

**Note: ** I won't lie I'm not happy at all here with this chapter. I got what I wanted to say done, but this chapter actually had a completely different layout originally. There was a fight scene planned, but I'm a bit swamped right now. So instead I did this (see chapter above), and I'm not in love with it. But it was either post this or not have anything for you guys until Saturday. School orientation started, and that is an all day event.  
With school also starting, do not expect updates every day. The type of school I'm in requires a ton of work, so that's what I'm focusing on. However, I will still do one once a week for certain, probably on weekends now. I want to have the actual chapter I wanted to post done by Saturday, and that includes Team Arrow vs. Team Hunters.

But hey yay the theme of the story is back: Oliver struggling with his choices about not being a killer. I know the show did this, but I wanted to revamp it for my story and this new context. So will Oliver keep to his own code or will he smash it into itty bitty pieces?


	51. Honor

**Chapter 51**

"Isabel took over my company," Oliver announced to everyone present. Even Malcolm had joined, but his far off look seemed to say he was not entirely here in mindset. "Slade is trying to take everything away from me."

"So what's next? Digg asked.

"Can you get it back?" Sara followed with a frown.

"If he proves she's a sociopath," Felicity muttered, back at her computer. She didn't need to be told that tonight they were going after Slade on his territory. Sara, Malcolm, and Digg were going to follow Oliver to the warehouse, and they were going to surprise the mercenary. She tried not to think what that meant in the long run. Without the cure, there really was only one way to stop Slade.

"I'm done waiting," is what Oliver finally chose to say. "We're going after Slade, and I'm finishing this." The anger in his voice was evident. "Tonight."

"And the hunters?" Sara added.

"Their next," he confirmed with a nod. "But Slade needs to be taken care of first." As dangerous as the hunters were with the markov device, a man with a personal vendetta was worse. Oliver just had to hope that the hunters would not use the device, at least for one more night. This was ending tonight with Slade. This seemingly snapped Malcolm from whatever he had been focusing on, and in three strong strides, he had moved and grabbed Oliver's arm

"You need to go home," the archer growled. Everyone else in the room bristled, and Felicity spun in confusion. "Thea needs you." He didn't want to divulge what their conversation had just pertained to, but he wasn't about to let Thea blindside the younger archer either. Malcolm had seen the pain in Thea's eyes; she needed family, and in this case, her brother not the vigilante.

Oliver lowered his voice dangerously, "I need to take care of Slade first. She isn't safe until he's taken care of and the hunters too." It was a rarity to see the archers openly hostile, but they both had very different ideas about how to spend the night. Malcolm was half-tempted to withdraw his support to force Oliver's hand, but the Dark Archer could see stubbornness. If he stepped away, Oliver would still go after Slade and be that much more at risk.

"She needs to talk to you," Malcolm said, trying to keep his voice even. On the table nearby, Oliver's phone lit up with Thea's name. "Slade can wait one more night."

"And the hunters?" he hissed. "I have to keep my family safe. I can't wait any longer." Family meant everything to Oliver, and it wasn't just his family by blood but the people standing in the room with him.

Malcolm tightened his grip on Oliver's arm. "Then Sara can go keep an eye on Slade tonight, and I'll distract the hunters. Go home." With that, he stepped back knowing that if he kept pushing that this could turn to blows. But if Oliver kept resisting, Malcolm would simply own up to what had happened. That would have to force the younger archer from the Foundry and back.

"I'm sorry, but none of you are going anywhere tonight," Viper announced as she slipped out from behind a beam. Her bow was lax in her grip, but her gaze was intense. Even from under her own hood, her eyes penetrated each of team Arrow.

The shock of one of the hunters in the Foundry faded quickly as both Malcolm and Oliver jumped for their bows while Sara pulled out her bo-staff. Three arrows shot out and Sara blocked two, but the third went into Felicity's computer screen. She ducked under her desk with a frown as there went another new computer.

Digg drew his gun just as Sara rushed forward, but the hunter easily snatched the back of the blonde's neck and sent her stumbling by. Viper dropped to a knee and shot another arrow effectively disarming Diggle. She had to roll to miss Malcolm's own shot, but he had anticipated her move and caught her in the arm. It was only a graze, but it was something.

Oliver's own bow was raised, and he gestured for Malcolm to go one way while he went the other. It was easy to block an archer from one side, but arrows from two different directions would be that much more difficult to block. Sara dove back in aiming low with a kick that forced Viper to block with her bow and opening her side, which Oliver took advantage of. He aimed and let loose a single arrow. The hunter saw the movement from the corner of her eye, so she purposefully let Sara catch her with a punch. The hit sent her stumbling and out of range of the arrow.

Being in close range with the Dark Archer, Viper took the time to smack him across the face with her bow while Digg charged in and tackled her to the ground. She hit the ground and all the air rushed form her lungs. Pivoting, she got her feet under Digg, and sent him over her head. Seconds later she was back on her feet in time to duck back out of range of Sara's bo-staff. Oliver and Malcolm shot at the same time, and she caught one and fell to her stomach to miss the other. Rolling forward, she came up and threw the arrow at the emerald archer, but he shot his own arrow from the air. Viper had learned from when she had gotten hold of one of his arrows, the composition of it. That helped her learn the potential speed and strength, and she knew at this close of a range, his arrow would easily pierce bone.

"You couldn't just let us have Mr. Merlyn, could you?" she asked as she repositioned her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a shadow moving. A few more moments was all she needed, but she didn't want to exhaust herself in this. Making a quick decision, she allowed the next arrow to catch her bow and send it from her hands. Sara rushed in and she didn't block the staff as it was thrust into her stomach. She bent and hid the grimace of pain as best she could, especially when the staff was then slammed onto her back. She hit the ground, but before she could stand, she felt Sara's hand wrap into her hair and pull her back up. One arm went around her throat, and the other had her arm effectively pinned.

Viper was impressed to some degree as it was a good hold. The only way out would be for her to possibly break her neck or at the very least dislocate her shoulder. The latter she could do, but she didn't need to win this fight only keep the team's attention off of everything else.

Malcolm narrowed his gaze and kept his bow up, while Oliver lowered his just an inch. He was unwilling to risk Sara. "That was too easy," the Dark Archer said.

Viper smiled from where she was being held, and she kept her head lowered effectively shielding her eyes with her hood. Sara tightened the hold around the hunter's neck, but with the other woman's head tilted, it was near impossible to actually cut off the air. She was still effectively trapped though, so there was that. "You're done," Sara stated, considering breaking the arm in her hand. It would effectively disarm Viper without killing or maiming her.

"Sara," Oliver said, his voice not hiding his sudden worry. Malcolm's words rang too true. The last time they had all gone against the hunter, she had mostly played with them; it looked as though she had purposefully allowed herself captured.

"What is it?" Digg asked as Felicity slowly came out from underneath the desk. She frowned at the destroyed monitor. That was easily replaceable, and wouldn't take as long to fix. At least, the tower was intact.

"She has more than just her bow," Malcolm said. "She could have used her knives when she was disarmed."

"She chose not to," Oliver summarized. "I want to know why."

"Perhaps to keep your attention fully on your captive?" Viper suggested finally raising her head just a bit. Sara adjusted her arm to try and get the trachea better pinned, but the hunter tilted her head in a way to prevent that. "You should have handed us Malcolm when we gave you that opportunity Mr. Queen. The suffering that is to follow is now on your shoulders." There was a pause. "And for that, I am sorry." It was genuine; Viper wouldn't let Talia near her worst enemies if it was her choice. She shuddered to think what Talia might do here, and it scared her more to think that the head hunter might actually use the markov device… but until the code was broken, there was nothing Viper could do. It didn't matter that she knew Talia would most likely use it; she could not do pre-emptive action…

Oliver didn't get the chance to react when something with an electrical pulse slammed into his back; he bit into his lips as the suddenness sent him to his knees. He glanced over his shoulder to see two more League and obviously hunters standing there. A bo-staff was in one of their hands, and the other held a few small knives. He watched as Malcolm turned to deal with the new threat, and the two hunters rushed in.

Sara's gaze widened at the sight of the newcomers, but before she could decide what to do with Viper, a sword caught her along her back. She hissed and released Viper while stumbling forward. The archer ducked under and spun around Sara coming up to rest next to Talia. The Al Ghul's sword dripped a bit of Sara's blood, and it excited Talia.

Diggle had retrieved his gun, and got off three rounds into Reese, who stumbled, but his bullet proof vest held. He cocked his head at the sight of the ex-soldier before grinning and rushing forward. Talia licked her lips and approached Oliver, who was working to get feeling back into his legs. The voltage had been just high enough to cause some muscle weakness but not cause any permanent damage.

"It's good to finally meet you Oliver," Talia grinned before bringing her leg up and kicking him across the face. He hit the cement, unconscious. She turned towards Viper and ordered, "Round them up alive and get them restrained immediately, if you would."

Viper frowned but nodded and launched herself back into the fight, going after Sara first. With team Arrow's attentions divided, the hunters had little trouble in taking down their intended target. Talia, on the other hand, did not go after one of the combatants. She went after Felicity, who had out of uncertainty froze in place. When her eyes locked onto Talia though, she grabbed a nearby sword and held it out. The Al Ghul found the entire situation amusing, and she ran her own blade teasingly against the other.

In one move, Talia easily knocked Felicity's away, and then, she kicked the IT girl hard in the chest and sent her back into her computers. When the hunter turned, she saw her team had done an effective job at getting everyone unconscious, and they were already moving metal chairs to the center of the Foundry. She would have preferred something bolted down, but she had very little to work with.

"Only four chairs," Talia explained, and the other hunters stopped and considered their leader. "I want Malcolm chained up."

"You want to do this here?" Viper asked, the disgust evident in her voice. This part of the punishment was always her least favorite, but she wasn't about to argue that he didn't deserve it. After all, Ra's had originally just sent her to do this, so she couldn't exactly complain. However, she always had a preference for privacy… unless of course, Talia was planning on killing everyone…

"Viper?" Talia asked, her tone indicating it hadn't been a request.

The archer nodded and with a sigh followed Talia's orders. Reese and Kali got the unconscious members of the vigilante's team into the chairs and worked to tie their arms to the chair with rope. It was impossible to effectively tie down anyone who knew anything about rope, but their knots would hold up for a while. No one would be able to escape in time to save anyone, and Reese was thrilled with that idea. Kali noticed Reese's glee and smiled with her own.

Oliver's head snapped around trying to seek out the hunters, and he caught sight of Malcolm hanging, unconscious with blood dripping away from his shoes, from the salmon ladder. The sight was oddly reminiscent of the time the Dark Archer had him trussed up in that warehouse.

"I'm glad you're awake," Talia said appearing from behind a column. The tip of her sword was pressed into her finger, and dribbles of blood were running down her arm. "I worried I might have kicked you too hard, and I want you here for this." There was a bit of some splattered on her face, and he tried not to think what he had missed while unconscious.

"For what?" Oliver growled, his eyes catching Felicity's. She was doing her best to not look terrified, but he wasn't going to blame her if she was. Even he felt a bit of fear clawing at his guts. They had close calls in the past, but never like this.

"I want you to understand what it means to get in the middle of League business," Talia explained. "But you're lucky, I'm not allowed to touch you." She sighed and moved in to lean across Oliver, her sword now dangerously on his lap. "But there is so much else I can do. Reese, Kali!" she snapped. The other two hunters dropped from the top of the salmon ladder and came to stand near the Al Ghul. "Fetch me Thea Queen if you will."

Nearby, Viper visibly tightened but otherwise didn't say a word. Oliver on the other hand raised his voice, "Don't you dare touch her!"

"League rules," Talia grinned. "I'm sure you understand," she continued while trailing her bloody finger down his face. Reese and Kali bowed and left without another word. They knew why they were being sent away and not Viper… Talia was most likely going to present the final hunter with the choice, and they both knew where Alec would stand. When they returned, they wouldn't exactly be shocked if blood soaked the walls.

"Talia," Oliver said, his voice changing. "Don't do this." He wasn't sure he could take another family member dying; he couldn't…

"Blood for blood," she quoted, and when she went to move away, Viper pulled away from the beam she had been leaning on.

"We have what we want," Viper said, drawing the attention to her. "Let us return to your father."

"Blood for blood," Talia repeated, the edge evident, and Viper nodded and retreated from her argument. She had tried, and that was all she could do. She watched as Talia re-picked up a bag, a whip evident, among other tools. Things Viper never carried with her, not even when she came here, but Talia was always one to be prepared. Viper, if she had captured Malcolm on her own, she would have just taken him back to Ra's most likely. Rage that he broke the code only went so deep… "So many things I can use," she hummed. "Again..." She hadn't had much time with Mr. Merlyn, but she had been unable to wait when he had awoken the first time. No one else had been conscious yet, and she hadn't done much until she had simply knocked him out again. However, she had gotten a taste of what she enjoyed, and that put her in a good mood.

"You won't touch her," Malcolm growled as he came to, and Talia practically skipped over to him. She smiled and seized his chin.

"You just couldn't stay dead, could you?" she asked.

"Leave Thea out of this," he repeated, and she lightly smacked his face.

"Thea is going to be my practice canvas," she said, her eyes drawn back to the bag. "I want to get it right with you this time. Only the best for traitors." Emotional pain first followed by physical would exacerbate it.

Viper tightened as she thought back on what she promised Thea: quick and painless. She did not want to be a liar, but there were so few ways around Talia's orders. When the other hunters return with Thea, Viper made a quick plan to put an arrow into her heart as quickly as possible. The girl would be dead, and Viper would most likely be in trouble but at least, she'd stick to what she said. Her honor meant something to her.

"Leave them alone," Felicity said finding her voice, and Digg watched in horror as Talia turned her attention onto the IT girl. Digg tried to shout and pull Talia away, but the hunter strolled over to the blonde and snatched her hair hard and yanked her head back.

"Talia," Sara said, trying not to be angry. Pleading could perhaps soothe the Al Ghul, so she tried that. "Stop. She has nothing to do with this."

"And do you?" she asked glancing only towards Sara but not releasing Felicity. "You're just as much of a traitor as Mr. Merlyn."

"Your sister released her," Viper reminded.

"So?" Talia chuckled. "Acceptable casualties." She stared down at Felicity, pulled out a knife, and set it gently against the skin of the cheek. "I'm going to slowly kill you for hitting me, then I'll move onto Sara, and Thea. Your boyfriend gets to watch this all and live… well live as a shell I'm sure until Slade decides to end him."

Viper didn't understand the turn of events. Up until now Talia had been careful about her plans and had kept them close to the chest. Working with a madman like Slade directly was very frowned on and torturing everyone in the room was a direct violation of the League code. It didn't take more than a few seconds for Alec to put the dots together. This was a test… If she stood and allowed this all to happen, she was siding with Talia and would be allowed to live. She stared at Felicity only to see Talia's gaze had been drawn back to her. The hunters' eyes met, and Viper closed her eyes and took a step back to return to her column. There was nothing she could do. Perhaps when this bloodbath was over, she could return and talk with Ra's Al Ghul… but for now…

Talia hid her shock but grinned and pushed the knife gently into Felicity's cheek. She didn't scream, only cried out. Oliver strained on his bonds and tried not to hyperventilate at the sight of her being hurt.

"Viper you can't just stand there!" Sara said. "What about your code? Viper!" The archer ignored Sara's whining, so the blonde turned to Oliver. "This is a breach of even the hunter's code."

"Doesn't seem to be stopping Talia," he said somehow through the pain. The Al Ghul was back to just running the knife teasingly against Felicity; her attention was solely on the IT girl. There was no one else in the room.

"It will stop Viper," Malcom explained, and he caught the hunter's eye. She only rolled her gaze and ignored him.

"We're traitors," Sara continued. "She won't listen to us."

"And I'm guessing she doesn't respect me," Digg said as he struggled to free himself.

When Felicity cried out again, Oliver immediately stopped shouting at Talia and turned on Viper. "Is this what your precious code dictates? Damn it Viper!" he growled, and Talia paused in her ministrations. "You came here to fulfill your obligation to the League… I don't see you doing that. I'm watching you break the very code you pretend to live by."

Viper bristled but otherwise was unmoved. Talia returned to her actions, and Felicity's next cry was more of a sob, and that got Alec's attention. She watched as Talia cackled, and she thought on everything that had happened up until now. Standing here and doing nothing was practically breaking the code herself… Honor meant everything to Viper. More than most, she understood the reasons for the hunters and blood for blood.

"Is Felicity really just an acceptable casualty?" he continued remembering how Sara explained the hunter's rules.

Talia raised the knife again, a smile on her face; this was she intended to drive into Felicity's shoulder. The pain would surely make the blonde scream, and her pain was causing everyone else agony… even Malcolm who had obviously started to take a shine to the team. When she went to drive the blade down though, she found her wrist trapped by a hand.

"You're in violation of our code Talia Al Ghul," Viper stated as she tightened her grip on Talia. With a hard squeeze, the knife fell away.

"Is that so?" the elder hunter growled. "I am a daughter of Ra's Al Ghul. Think this through and be certain of this path. I will kill you."

"You were planning to kill me anyway," Viper retorted. "The least I can do is slow you down instead of standing by."

"You were always soft."

"It's called honor…" Then, the two hunters went at each other's throats.

**Note**: So yes the fight between the hunters and team arrow was lacking, but that's because I meant it to be that way. Team Arrow is exhausted and beaten down, so they weren't exactly much of a match for the hunters that have been waiting to do this.  
And yay finally Viper stands up for the code. Someone way back in chapter 3 or so said Oliver should just call Viper out on her honor, and well, I've been waiting for that right here. This is why I wrote so much of Viper out, so you all could see this coming. It was important to not have a sudden 180 to me. I like to remain in the character outlines I start with. So I hope you enjoyed this.

Next chapter a lot of fighting… I mean a lot of fighting… and some Olicity since what just happened was a bit traumatic for them both.


	52. Exile

**Chapter 52**

Viper felt Talia's hand enclose around her throat, nails digging into the side and drawing blood. She barely batted an eye as she slammed her elbow down on Talia's, effectively breaking the hold then caught the Al Ghul in the nose. The heiress stumbled away while Viper moved in. She had to keep Talia from drawing her blade. If there was any weapon the elder hunter succeeded at, it was the sword.

Talia kicked Viper in the side, hooked her arm around the archer, and flipped her over her back. Viper smashed into the cement, back taking the brunt, but before Talia could fully take advantage of the new position, Viper purposefully leaned back on her shoulders and kicked her opponent in the sternum before righting herself. She rushed back to her feet and ran forward to attempt and retrieve her fallen bow. The first throwing knife grazed her side, and she wasted no time sliding across one of the metal tables in the Foundry to take cover.

"Is this really what you want Alec?" Talia asked, calm and collected. She glanced back to Felicity, who had controlled her tears but not shaking. Unable to help herself, the hunter blew the IT girl a kiss that promised a return to what they were doing. "I'm trying to help the League. I'm making it better."

"You sound oddly like Malcolm Merlyn," Viper growled as she rolled out from her hiding spot, throwing knife in hand, but when she tossed it, she purposefully nicked Talia. The Al Ghul didn't hesitate in rushing back in, sword drawn, and Viper retaliated by pulling her own. Meanwhile, Oliver looked down at his now free right hand.

The two hunters met, blades crossing, and Viper did everything in her power to keep Talia from turning around. She occasionally allowed Talia an opening, and the shallow cuts from the sword were beginning to burn. If she wanted to win, she needed her bow and for Oliver to free his company. She suddenly regretted leaving her bow against the column she had been leaning on when she had gone to stop Talia.

"You shouldn't have drawn your sword," Talia hissed blocking a high shot with the blade, but then used a left hook to catch Viper in the face. The Al Ghul didn't relent once she had a clean opening, and she moved in and kneed the bent Viper.

Oliver, meanwhile, worked to free his other hand, but his gaze was distracted. He kept trying to watch the hunters, but then, he would find himself staring at Felicity, hoping she would hold herself together. He just needed to get to her, and at the very least get her out of here. The last rope finally fell away, and while his wrists and fingers burned, he paid it little mind as he rushed, at first, to free Felicity. He wiped the blood from her cheek, and she flinched from the contact.

However before he could start, he froze and whispered, "I'm going to get you out of here… but I need to get Sara out first. I need someone to watch my back. Please…"

"I understand," she whimpered, but her nod was strong. He frowned at having to leave her, but if Viper failed, he'd have his back to Talia, and he couldn't risk that. He needed someone else out, who could help him defend those still restrained.

Taking the knife Viper had used to free him, he worked as quickly as he could through Sara's bonds. He would have freed Malcolm after her, but he was chained and obviously injured. He'd have to be last if at all for the moment. Once Sara was free, she quietly retrieved her bo-staff and took up a position behind Oliver as he worked to free Digg next. The entire time his gaze was locked on Felicity though.

Nearby, the hunters crashed into the stairs; Viper on top with Talia pinned beneath her. Sara held her ground; she wanted to get involved but the others had to come first. With Talia outnumbered, they actually had an opportunity. She glanced back to see Diggle was basically free. Digg stood and shook his wrists, and Oliver handed him the knife.

"Get her out of here," Oliver ordered, pointing to Felicity.

"Oliver," Felicity said, an unknown emotion laced in her voice. "I'm not…"

"I don't care what it takes. You get her out here," he continued ignoring her. Digg understood and moved to free their IT girl.

Oliver snatched his bow in time to see Talia throw Viper into a column, and the Al Ghul's eyes were so focused that she had yet to notice her escaping captives. For once, it was a good thing that she enjoyed inflicting pain as much as she did; otherwise, her attention wouldn't have been so undivided.

"Get Malcolm free," he continued to Sara. "If he can't fight, get him out of here."

"What about you?" Sara asked, not thrilled with her orders, but she knew this wasn't exactly the best time to question them.

"Do what I can," he stated as he notched an arrow. "Give you time to get out or time to help me." He touched Sara's cheek, the enormity of what was going on crushing him. This was their home, and it had been tarnished. "Go." He drew back the arrow and shot towards Talia.

The Al Ghul saw the arrow in her periphery and snatched it out of the air in time. Her eyes were wide in both a bit of surprise and rage. She gripped the shaft tight while Viper laid sprawled on her back, blood trickling out from her mouth and left ear. When Talia turned to address Oliver though, Viper struck out and kicked Talia's right knee hard, and she watched as the elder hunter stumbled.

A snarl distracted all three fighters, and they turned to see Malcolm cringing in pain and Sara holding up her hands defensively. The moment only lasted a second, and soon Oliver was shooting another arrow. Talia stepped back, giving Viper room to stand shakily. Without her bow, she still felt naked, but she didn't let that hold her back as she rushed Talia again. She wasn't too worried about Oliver; he was a good shot, one of the best she had seen, and right now, she wasn't worried about her life. League Code dictated that this was her job, to live and die by.

"What would your father think if he saw this?" Viper mused when they both had ducked the other's punch. She jumped high and tried to kick, which Talia slid under. The elder hunter came up near Oliver, but she kicked him back in turn.

"He'd be proud," Talia laughed. "He'd see the good I was trying to do. The League is ineffective."

Viper shook her head; at least, the Al Ghul believed her words wholeheartedly. And that was what terrified the archer. She now was sure that Talia would use the markov device, in the city without care. She had thought imploding a hotel had been bad enough…

Talia blocked the next kick and pulled Viper in close, arm wrapped around her neck. They were pressed chest to chest, and Talia couldn't help but lean in and whisper, "Now just think of everything I can do… with not just the markov device." Talia was smart, and didn't completely divulge her plan. However, she wanted a moment to gloat; it ended abruptly when Malcolm had found it in himself to use his bow. She was forced to release Viper to also snatch that arrow mid-air. With a hiss, she turned to Viper, "You're really choosing them?"

"I'm choosing the League," Viper corrected, as she moved to try and distract Talia again. The elder hunter had had enough, and she caught Viper with an uppercut and a roundhouse kick. Before the younger hunter fell though, Talia snatched her and thrust Malcolm's arrow deep into her gut. Viper's breath caught, but she bit back the groan of pain.

"And I am banishing you from the League," Talia said as she released Viper to fall. She was smart enough to correct her tumble, so that she landed on her side and not on the arrow, but that was all she could do as her hands moved to try and staunch the blood flow. "Alexandria Murphy, as a daughter, and eldest of Ra's Al Ghul, I find you guilty of treason and hereby exile you from the League of Assassins. Pain of death awaits you Alec for your crimes." The words were said in pride, and Viper tried to hide the agony of what the words meant to her. Exile and treason…

"Your father will figure it out then we shall see who's the traitor," Viper growled albeit weakly, but she couldn't get any more out when Talia drove her foot hard onto the exposed arrow shaft, tearing muscles in the now ex-hunter.

"You'll see nothing," Talia hissed before turning on Sara, Malcolm, and Oliver. All three stood united. Malcolm was a bit off balance from earlier, and blood could be seen staining his dark undershirt. She smiled at her own handiwork and wished she had had more time to complete a bit more of a masterpiece. "You are a thorn in my side Oliver."

"Call off your hunters from my sister," he growled, bow raised threateningly.

"I can't… well actually I won't," she laughed. Her sword laid a few feet to her right; once she had that, the archers and bird would be of little consequence to her. "I want to hear your sister scream."

Both Malcolm and Oliver released their arrows simultaneously, but Talia lunged to the side, both missing. She fell into a roll and snatched up her sword as she came back up. She raised her sword in time to block Sara's high shot with her staff. Talia pushed forward and forced Sara to step back. Slipping her sword under the staff, she pulled the blade back toward her and disarmed Sara effectively. However the Canary didn't let that stop her; instead, she retaliated by leaning back and trying to kick Talia in the face.

Nonetheless, Talia had been trained to fight other League members, so the moves were familiar to the Al Ghul. She tucked her chin down, and the kick just brushed past her nose. Her sword swung out horizontally, and Sara jumped back. Talia quickly recovered and sliced through another one of Oliver's arrows.

Now that Felicity was safe, he was having a hard time focusing past the rage. He was reminded of the time with the Count; he wanted her dead for touching Felicity. He raised and shot another arrow and another, not caring that she easily sliced each away.

Talia obviously could read this on his face and smiled, "I didn't do that much damage to your plaything. One or two small scars. Physically at least." Emotionally, who knew what Talia had done? Oliver focused himself to keep his shots precise, but he had forgotten his own rule. He was aiming to kill not stop.

The hunter seemed to realize this as she was forced to block four quick succession shots that had been aimed right at her heart. She abruptly realized that perhaps angering someone that did not have League training might not have been the most productive of ideas. With a snarl, she moved to try and close the distance with the emerald archer, but Malcolm kept her back by firing his own, albeit, slower shots.

She was ready to end this; she had already planned out her three moves that would effectively kill Sara at close range then would allow her to toss her sword and incapacitate Oliver and recapture Malcolm. Before she could launch into the succession though, another arrow shot out from her left and grazed her arm. It was a terrible shot, and when she turned to see Viper sitting against a column, her hand shaking, it looked like it had been a miracle that the ex-hunter had even been able to even pull the string back to start.

"Want to guess what was on that arrow?" she ground out, the arrow still in her stomach. Talia thought back and growled; there was a possible antidote in Viper's quiver… but Talia didn't know one poison from another; however, she did have a general antidote back at the base. A shallow cut would keep the immediate systemic circulation, but if she wanted to live, she had to leave now. Giving Viper a smile that ranged from annoyed to pissed to hell, Talia flipped her sword back into its sheath and tossed down a smoke bomb.

Viper grinned at her handiwork before she dropped her bow, partially in exhaustion and another from the pain radiating in her stomach. "That was one of Malcolm's arrows," Sara said suddenly, to which Viper found it in herself to wink before she passed out. "It couldn't have been poisoned…"

"Smart," Malcolm stated as he limped towards Oliver.

"Will you live?" the younger archer asked, his eyes focused on the unconscious or dead hunter in their Foundry.

"Nothing permanent," Merlyn responded while he snatched a nearby knife and approached Viper. He didn't trust hunters; they could always fake a condition to get their prey. Pressing the knife gently to her throat, he used his other hand to check the pulse in her wrist.

"Is she alive?" Oliver asked.

"For now," he answered as he stood. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but the hunter had intervened. Then, there was the fact she had been protecting his daughter for a while now. Which reminded him abruptly, "Oliver, Thea…"

Without missing a beat, the elder Queen rushed to his phone and immediately called Thea, who picked up on the third ring… sort of. She answered but didn't say a word. Hanging up, Oliver turned to look at Sara. "Can you go and get her? She's at the house."

"How do you know?" Sara began to ask before nodding. "Tracker, right. Do you tag everyone?"

"Everyone who has a tendency to get kidnapped or threatened," he answered. "Please go now. You should be able to beat the hunters there if you take your bike."

"Then what do I do with her?" Sara asked. "I can't bring her here. To start, it's not safe here anymore."

Oliver frowned but before he could comment, Malcolm spoke up. "The other base he has will work. Take her there…" With that, he turned to the elder Queen. "She knows Oliver… about you. Slade told her who you were."

….

Oliver didn't even have it in him to respond to what Malcolm revealed; instead, he had sent Sara away immediately to fetch his sister and bring her to the new Foundry. He heaved the unconscious hunter out along with Malcolm, who was still moving half speed, before he put the Foundry back into full lock-down. It'd keep unwelcomed parties out until he could empty it. For now, they only took their weapons and attire.

Digg was informed of the new address, and he thankfully didn't ask any more questions either. He simply agreed to bring Felicity. There wasn't much to say about her condition, and Oliver tried not to think of the blood on her face. He had to think past it, and first try and stabilize Viper when they arrived at their new base.

While Malcom was injured, he worked silently beside Oliver. The elder Merlyn did not comment about why they were trying to save a hunter, and even when Digg arrived, he didn't either. He simply set Felicity in a corner with hot chocolate and moved to help. The arrow had been deep, but had missed all major organs. Oliver ignored the implication that Talia had done that on purpose to keep the other hunter alive for other purposes.

It had taken an hour, but they had somehow kept Viper alive. Sara hadn't returned with Thea yet, but one look at his phone told him it wasn't due to the hunters but because Thea was being stubborn. They had left the house, but Sara had yet to reveal that she wanted to take Thea to see Oliver. However, Thea didn't want to leave Roy; the lack of emotional bond with her brother had drove her back to the hospital where she now refused to leave. Sara promised via text, she'd stay until Thea came with and keep the younger Queen safe.

"I'll take care of him… Go to her," Digg said, touching Oliver's shoulder gently. They both looked to see Malcolm hunched over in a chair, eyes closed and breathing deep. Something was hurting, and Oliver nodded his thanks.

Before he went to Felicity, he first washed his hands in the small hose he had hooked up in this building. There wasn't much here but a few remedial supplies, but it would have to work. Once he was relatively clean, he tried to ignore the blood on his shirt and returned to find Felicity sitting near one of the few windows, staring out at the city.

"Hey," he whispered as he came up near her. At first, she didn't respond, but when she turned, he frowned at the cut on her face. It was deep but small. It would most likely scar, and he gently ran his thumb above it. "I'm…"

"Don't," she growled. "Don't you dare apologize. This wasn't your fault."

"If I had handed Malcolm…"

"You couldn't have done that," she whispered, pulling her knees in close to her chest; this allowed Oliver to lean near her on the ledge. "You're better than that."

"I tried to kill Talia," he responded with. He wasn't as good as she thought he was.

"But you didn't."

"I still tried," he said, lowering his head. He stayed like that until he felt Felicity shift, and then she was sitting next to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and linked their arms. "She hurt you."

"It's not your fault," she repeated because to her these were the most important words. She had to make him understand that what had happened would have only happened that way no matter what. She couldn't have him blaming himself.

"I don't know what to do…" And that was the truth. "I don't know how to stop them." He felt his hands trembling as he thought on how close he had come to breaking his new code… again. He had not been thinking clearly against Talia.

"You'll stop them."

"Felicity…" He tilted his head towards hers, and she smiled. Somehow, she had been hurt and casted down, but she had found it to still find hope in the situation. She smiled gently at Oliver, trying to convey how much she believed in him. This had been a set-back, but to her, there was always a worse. Thea could have been hurt, someone else could have died.

"You will."

"Why do you always believe in me?"

"Because I'm your girl," she smiled, and he relented to that.

"You're going to get hurt again… because of me…"

Pointing to the cut on her face, while it still stung, she pffted, "This thing? It's small. Now I have another scar to brag about. I couldn't have said that I took a knife for someone before this, now I can."

"You shouldn't have to say that," he growled. "This is dangerous."

"Excuse me Mr. Queen," she huffed, tightening her grip on his hand and glaring. Her lips pursed and she refused to let him look away. "Talia did not go after me because of you. She decided to use my face as a scratching board because I head-butted her." Oliver tried not to snort at the pride he heard in her voice. "Don't try and take this away from me."

At that, he shook his head and leaned down to kiss her. He didn't know how her awkward way of phrasing things made him so happy, but it did. Her words calmed him and reinvigorated him, and with that, he deepened the kiss. He found himself holding her tightly, and when he pulled away, "I thought I was going to lose you today. I can't lose you." For a moment, a different L word had come to mind, but he didn't speak it.

"I'm here," she whispered knowing he needed to know that. "I'm here because of you… and you know that crazy hunter. Is she…"

"She's alive," he confirmed. "I'm not sure what to do with her either."

"Keep her and Malcolm in a room together, tape it, then sell it to pay-per-view?" she suggested with a smile. He kissed her again, this time more gently. He wasn't as desperate to confirm that her heart was still, in fact, beating.

Instead of continuing with their current conversation, Oliver repeated, "I can't lose you Felicity."

"I'm your girl," she smiled. "I'm not going anywhere. Who knows what else would explode without me? You also owe me another computer."

"Don't know how I'm going to buy you one without… a job," he sighed as another problem fell on his lap.

"Well, you still owe me one," she said with a smile. "And an apartment…" She leaned her head back on his shoulder, and for the moment, everything wasn't so messed up… There wasn't an unconscious hunter in the other room, and there wasn't a Slade Wilson or Talia Al Ghul. It wasn't a long moment, but it was needed. Things weren't exactly looking up; if anything, there was at least one more bad turn to come. Felicity seemed to know that was what he was thinking, so she squeezed his hand reassuringly. No matter what, she was here for him… and so was Digg, Sara, and Malcolm.

**Note:** So I'll try to get another update this weekend, but viola. Next chapter has Thea and the fallout from what exactly just happened here. Talia and the hunters re-group, and Team Arrow finally gets their feet grounded and ready for a fight.

Just so you know, in the original draft, Viper died in this chapter, but I have a new plan… so lucky character. So everyone enjoy your week!


	53. Family

**Chapter 53**

Thea sat, staring at Roy's prone body. She barely even glanced at Sara, who had followed here abruptly, and she didn't exactly care to. The younger Queen wasn't sure what this all was about, but the more Sara had pleaded for her to leave, the more she had wanted to stay. There was so little she could truly be afraid of at this point; the only people that were a threat to her were the hunters… and Thea already knew she couldn't escape them.

In her pocket, her phone sat untouched. Thea had been hoping and praying for Oliver to call her back; she had sent that text but she hadn't heard a thing yet that told her if he was okay. If he wasn't, she needed to be near Roy to try and deal with what she would be feeling. She needed someone, and the only person she had was in a coma.

When Sara first found Thea, the younger Queen had been leaving the mansion in a hurry, and at first, Lance had tried to convince Thea to go out for a bite. When that didn't work, she had tried bribery, and finally, she had been forced to follow the younger girl to the hospital. Sara was at the end of her rope; the hospital wasn't safe even with the cop outside the door. More than anything, Sara needed to get Thea back to this new base, but she hadn't wanted to outright say it was about Oliver. While Malcolm had admitted that Thea knew his secret, Sara was still unwilling to completely trust the man. She wasn't going to put this ruse past the man, so she had been trying to avoid telling Thea that they needed to go to her brother. However, she was running out of options. The hunters would regroup quickly, and when they couldn't find Oliver, they would go after Thea, no hesitation.

"Thea," Sara said imploringly, and she was glared at in turn.

"You don't have to be here," Thea grudgingly said, her mind drawn to the two people who had been the last few days.

"You're not safe here," she continued, keeping her back to the wall and resisting the urge to touch the younger woman. She didn't think contact would make anything better.

"There's a cop outside the door." Even she doubted that would be of much help against assassins. "Just go."

"I can't," she sighed deeply, not at all thrilled with how this conversation was going. "We were attacked," she finally begrudgingly said. Thea's head snapped up, and she turned to look at Sara, eyes wide. She wasn't sure how to process that as she hadn't thought Sara was part of all of this… then again, Sara had been gone similar to her brother. "I need you to come with me."

"Are they dead?" she whispered.

"No. No they're not." Sara finally stepped forward and held out her hand. "You need to come with me. You're not safe here."

Thea reluctantly released Roy's hand; she wasn't sure if she completely trusted Sara. Everyone lied to her, but she did believe the danger. Viper had made that clear before she had run off to try and kill Ollie. "Is anyone dead?" She wondered about Malcolm for a brief second.

"Viper might be," Sara admitted, and she watched Thea's body reaction, which was odd. Instead of relaxing as someone might expect, Thea tensed and frowned. It looked as though the younger Queen hadn't liked that news.

…

The first thing Viper recognized was pain… which was good since it meant she was alive, and then, it wasn't. Based on the cold feel to her left wrist, she could tell she was handcuffed down to whatever table she was laying on. It'd be better to be dead then with Talia… and the reality of the situation hit the now ex-hunter, and she tried not to cringe with the realization her life was over.

Deciding to simply face her fate, Viper didn't hesitate in snapping open her gaze and adjusting her eyes to the ever brightening light. With a hiss, she glanced around to see she was no longer in the hunter base that she recognized, but then there was always the chance they had moved.

However that thought immediately died when she noticed sitting not too far away was Mr. Merlyn. He was dressed back in his League attire, and she considered how he was sitting. Partially hunched and deep breaths conveyed how much pain he was probably still in. Even with a short period of time, Talia was efficient and skilled with a thin blade.

The pain in her gut reminded her how she had ended up here, and Viper tried to relax enough to try and slip her wrist through the handcuff. As bad as Talia was, the archer knew what to expect from her former teammate, but it hadn't been too long ago that she had threatened Thea. Family meant something, and since she was alive, there were things she could do- exiled or not.

"You're finally awake," Malcolm said as he stood and approached the table. Viper pulled her knees up and turned her head to face him. "It was a bit touch and go there for a while."

"How long have I been unconscious?" she asked, her tone neutral and body defensive. By tightening her body, her wound screamed in protest.

"Not that long," he answered.

"League training," she grumbled. It was just one more thing that had been beaten into League members that whether injured, exhausted, or practically dead; they had to be ready to stay on their feet and thus wake up even in the worst situations.

The ex-hunter tried not to tense when she felt Malcolm's hand come to rest around her throat; instead, she kept eye contact and waited. "You stabbed Thea." His tone practically screamed rage, but his face remained at rest.

"I apologized," Viper responded with a smirk. She felt his hand tighten, and she reacted. She tightened her stomach and swung her legs up to catch Malcolm's neck. With a twist, she sent him stumbling into the table, and his weight caused the table to implode towards the elder Merlyn. Somehow, they crashed into the concrete together.

Raising a foot, she kicked him hard in the sternum, and her wound screamed out causing her to hesitate. Malcolm used that to his advantage and pinned one of Viper's arms into the middle of her back by pressing her hard against the table. With how her wrist was twisted, she was effectively trapped. If she tried to struggle, more pain blossomed in her stomach, and after a few pathetic attempts, she finally had to stop and breathe.

Everything hurt, and she closed her eyes to try and focus past it. However it continued to pulsate, and she groaned as her head fell forward to rest against Malcolm's shoulder. At the moment, she didn't care as long as the pain receded.

"You would have killed her," he growled into her ear.

"I would have," she confirmed with a tiny groan, and she felt him tighten his hold. "But did you not hear Talia? I'm an exile."

"You're a hunter."

"Not anymore," she whispered as her eyes fell close. With a bitter laugh, she continued, "Now I'm no better than you." She pulled her head back to lean against the cold table. "I'm a traitor in the eyes of the League."

"I should kill you," Malcolm said indecisively.

"Go ahead Mr. Merlyn," she said with a shake of her end. "It'll be quicker." His hand went back to her throat and squeezed.

"You wouldn't have given my daughter or me that chance," he snarled, one thumb pressed hard into her trachea.

"You, no," she forced out. "Thea would have gone quickly. I had planned to put an arrow through her heart when Kali and Reese returned." He loosened his grip just enough so they could consider each other.

He snorted, "Blood for blood. You enjoyed getting me on my knees after threatening to kill my daughter." He was livid. "But what would you know about family? All you have is the League." Hunters were almost exclusively born into the position.

"I knew my father," she admitted, and that caught Malcolm's attention. "I was six when I was recruited into the League, and I remember him... as a traitor to the League."

"You killed him." It wasn't a question.

"Blood for blood, Mr. Merlyn." It was not an easy choice, but it had been hers to make at the very least. He had been a traitor, he had run, and done much worse before the League had caught up with him. She sighed deeply, "It's a job Mr. Merlyn. I take pride in only some of my work, not all, but it's all necessary. I do not enjoy every aspect of what I do."

"So what does that mean with my sister?" Oliver asked stepping into the room. Felicity followed behind, and her eyes went wide at the scene. Obviously something was running through her head, and she was working hard to keep it there. "Malcolm…"

The elder archer stood and released the ex-assassin, and she took a deep breath as the pain finally lessened enough. While partially free though, she didn't move from her position on the floor, and when Malcolm offered her a hand, she ignored it. Whatever understanding they had a moment ago faded back to the dislike they shared for each other.

"Viper," Oliver repeated, crossing the room to try and cool the situation. Digg chose that moment to return from the bathroom, and he looked blatantly confused about it all.

"Alec if you would," she interrupted. "Talia exiled me and that effectively disowned me from the League."

"So you lose your name if you're disowned?" Felicity asked. "Well that's not too bad."

"And I'm killed when I'm caught," she explained. "I'm a traitor to the League. Which means your sister is safe from me Mr. Queen but not my ex-brethren."

"You tried to kill her," Digg growled, and Alec found it in her to shrug.

"It's a job," Malcolm said speaking up for the ex-hunter. "She was fired, so it's no longer her job."

"But you're glaring at him looking like he'll hopefully spontaneously combust?" Felicity stated, unsure of where to stand without her computer around to have her back.

"Him?" she asked pointing to Malcolm, and the IT girl nodded. "I just don't like him." Holding up her wrist, she asked, "Can I be released now?" When they hesitated, she growled. "I'm not a threat to you, and I need as much of a head start that I can get."

"You're running?" Felicity asked. "You don't seem like a runner… well I mean someone who gets away from their problems since I'm sure you can run and like it."

"You're odd," Alec laughed. "I didn't notice that last time."

"Well that's because you knocked me out last time… with a poison," she said relatively happy to start until the end.

"And no I'm not running away," she shrugged. Finally after a cue from Oliver, Digg approached and released Viper. She was pulled relatively gently to her feet by the ex-soldier; with a nod that conveyed thank-you, she continued, "I need to get out of Starling and back to Nanda Parbet."

"Ra's Al Ghul will kill you," Malcolm said after a shocked moment of silence. "Actually, he'll do worse to you since you touched his daughter."

"But wait, wasn't she breaking, you know, the 'code'?" Felicity asked, half-way using air quotes but stopping at Alec's glare.

"It's her word against mine," the ex-hunter explained.

"You stepped in knowing it was a death sentence?" Felicity asked.

"It's my job to kill or capture those that break the League's code," Alec said as though it made the most sense in the world. "Either Talia was going to kill me or Ra's would for touching his daughter." It was morbid but true.

"You could run," Oliver stated. "I'm sure you could disappear if you wanted."

"For what?" she asked. "Unlike Mr. Merlyn or Ms. Lance, I was raised singularly to do this. I have no family outside the League, thankfully, and I have nothing besides it. I broke the code knowingly. I will return to Nanda Parbet."

Malcolm snorted, more of a short chuckle then to be obnoxious, "You live and die for the League." To that, Alec nodded curtly.

She caught Oliver's eye and gave him a small smile. "Oliver," and that caught his attention as she rarely, if ever, had used his first name. For Alec to address someone as such, it was a sign of respect. And after everything, she saw the potential if not more in Oliver that Ra's Al Ghul had seen. "Thank-you for saving my life." He wasn't sure how to respond, so he didn't. "So when I return to Ra's Al Ghul, I will try and make him see what his eldest is planning to do here. I will try to get him to send more assassins to help stop her… and Slade. They are working together, and I would not put it past Talia to want and use the mirakuru that he has."

"And the markov device?" he asked.

"I do not know its whereabouts," she sighed. "But given the chance she will use it." She thought back on all the recognizance that the hunters had done to try and share anything else that might be relevant. "I know where Slade is."

"Oh so do we," Felicity smiled happily before quieting.

"And while I do not exactly where he is keeping his fifty soldiers that have been injected successfully with the mirakuru," she continued. "I do know who does. Your man in the skull mask. Your friend, Sebastian Blood."

….

Talia growled and snapped the neck of the pleading man at her feet. When she had made it more than half-way back to their base with no side effects, she realized she had been duped. By the time she had returned to the Foundry, no one was around, and she hadn't hesitated to call Kali and Reese back. There were other issues besides the young Merlyn now.

It was unlikely that her father would believe Alec if she returned to him, but it was a chance she couldn't take. Talia needed Reese and Kali to go after the now ex-hunter and finish the job while she went and checked on her twenty loyalists. In every past fight, Talia had always overcome Alec unless the fight was kept at more than an arm's length; and while Viper hadn't technically "won" the fight, Talia didn't consider it a win either.

As of now, Malcolm Merlyn was of little concern; she had to finish what she was doing and return to Nanda Parbet before her father caught whiff of this anymore. She knew that Nyssa had most likely spouted something already, and with Viper's word… then again, Talia quickly pulled out her phone again and dialed her father. If she could get a message to him first, it would take him longer to confirm Viper's story. It was time for damage control.

Thankfully, her plan was only a few days from fruition. She truly doubted that any real damage could be done to stop her here in Starling, but she had to keep her father on her side for as long as possible. There wouldn't be much of a League if she had to kill many of her brothers and sisters in her attempt to reform the League.

….

Digg silently redid Alec's bandage on her stomach; her roughhousing with Malcolm had torn the stitches. Oliver had at least convinced her to stay long enough to fix that, and she had begrudgingly agreed. It was obvious that Viper wanted as much of a head start that she could get.

Oliver sat close to Felicity, who was hard at work at her new computer, albeit older, set-up. She was pulling up every record they had on Sebastian Blood. Oliver couldn't wrap his mind around… actually, terrifyingly enough he could. Sebastian wanted to clean up the Glades, as did Malcolm. How anyone thought mass murder was the only way to do it was beyond Oliver, but he had to focus past that for now. He needed to know where Slade's army was, and he needed the cure which Felicity was doing all she could to get a hold of. There was apparently a prototype, but they had not done enough tests… but time was running out in Starling.

Nearby, Malcolm sat, and the entire time both him and Viper were glaring the other down. If it wasn't for Viper's injury or the fact she could help them out, they'd be at each other's throats again. While she was no longer a hunter, she did not agree with what he had done, and her love for the League kept her from seeing him in any other light besides traitor.

Sara, on the other hand, was more tolerable. Viper did not like people who ran, but she understood the reasons for it. Also, there was the fact the Canary had been released and thus cleared of her crime… so now the ex-hunter felt indifferent.

"Oliver," Sara said stepping into the Foundry, and her eyes zeroed in on the awake hunter. "You're alive."

"I am," she nodded.

"Not for long," Malcolm said. "She's heading back to Nanda Parbet."

"Ra's will kill you," Sara replied stepping into the room, and Viper simply shrugged. That ended that conversation abruptly, and the female vigilante didn't push it. Instead, she turned to Oliver and said, "Your sister is…"

"It really is true," Thea said appearing in the doorway, eyes wide in both fascination and shock. "I had thought… I hadn't… You really are the Arrow."

"Bringing her here was probably not the best of ideas," Viper muttered as Digg finally finished and pressed new gauze into the wound. The pressure caused her to hiss but otherwise remain unaffected.

"Thea," Oliver said as he stood and moved towards her… however, she shook her head, a new emotion clouding her face as she spotted Malcolm in the room.

"You're with him?" she practically hissed.

Viper sighed, "And here comes the tantrum…"

"After everything, you're working with him? He's a murderer!" Thea snapped, and Malcolm tried to hide his frown. "What does that make you?" Whatever else, she was going to say she instead swallowed and stormed out.

Before anyone could consider following, Viper had already pushed out the door and went after the younger Queen. Sara frowned, "What is going on now?"

Outside, Thea stood in the abandoned parking lot, and she remained there, undecided how she wanted to react still. Her brother she could have accepted, but she couldn't believe he was working with Malcolm. That man had destroyed their lives… and while she couldn't deny that he was her father, she was still uncertain how to take that relationship.

"Are you done being five?" Viper asked stepping into the night air as well. The pain hummed in her side in sync with her heart.

"And what are you doing here?" she growled turning on Viper. "He's why you're here, and you were standing there being civil with him?"

"I'm not exactly a threat at the moment," the ex-hunter explained. "I stepped in to stop Talia, my superior, and I've been exiled from the League."

Thea's gaze softened. "You stopped her?"

"She was breaking our code by torturing Felicity," she explained. "I could not allow that, but I lost the fight." She lifted the small part of her under armor to show off the gauze. Blood was already starting to seep through again. "I am no longer a threat to you."

"So what now then?"

"You will go back inside and be safe with your family, and I will return to Nanda Parbet to try and get help for this city…" Viper decidedly left out how returning would most likely result in her death.

"I want to go with you…"

Immediately, Alec tensed and shook her head. "You cannot. You are not League, and they will kill you for your father's crimes. I am not a threat to you, they still are." She watched as Thea frowned but acquiesced. "Your brother is trying to protect you. He teamed up with Mr. Merlyn to stop us hunters. You might not like him, and neither do I, but both your brother and Merlyn care and love you. At this moment, they are the only people between the League and you."

"Am I supposed to just ignore everything else?" she asked, and Viper reached out and grasped Thea's shoulder… it wasn't just a gesture of comfort but also because the world was tilting for the ex-hunter.

"No, you deal. Not forever, but for now, you need to be smart. You need them to stay safe."

"I can protect myself," she said defiantly which caused Viper to chuckle and nod. From her side pocket, the ex-hunter pulled out a small pouch.

"Then these will help," Viper said holding out the bag to Thea. "They are throwing knives, but be careful. Mine are poisoned, so do not learn to toss with the blade but handle." Most knives were weighted to be thrown the other way around, and Viper did throw hers that way but she was used to not cutting herself. "But just consider when we first met I killed a large chunk of your cliental at your club… that will be who comes for you, and they will be worse."

Thea sighed and accepted the words. "So deal with my brother and traitorous father."

"For now," Viper nodded. She stepped away and considered her location in the city. "I need to go."

"You're barely on your feet!" But Viper wasn't listening, so she tried a different tactic. "Are you coming back..? And please the truth. I'm tired of lies."

"I will try…" And that was all she could say because she wasn't sure that she'd be alive to come back.

…

Sara stood inside near Oliver, all of them waiting for Thea to return. Felicity had pulled up the security camera outside to be certain that the younger Queen was safe, and thus far, the ex-hunter and her only seemed to be talking. It made Oliver uncomfortable, but he watched with an odd fascination in how Thea actually looked to be listening.

"Of course my daughter would pick a hunter to look up to," Malcolm finally muttered.

**Note**: So Viper will be incognitio for the next 3-5 chapters. Nyssa is coming back in 3-5 as well, as will the Huntress (more like 6-7 though for her) and we're going to start wrapping things up here. Thea and Oliver have a honest to God talk. Blood and Roy in the next chapter; Slade starts phase 1, the cure finally makes an appearance. Coming up on the end.

For those who want a taste of the sequel… you get the title that's it: Valkyrie

Enjoy your weekend.


	54. The Reasons

**Chapter 54**

Thea stayed outside alone only for a few minutes longer; she continued to stare where Viper had disappeared… but she saw nothing, only darkness and the flickering lights of the lot. Remembering the hunter's words about being safe, she dragged herself back inside. She packed the small pouch of knives away, and she had little intention of telling anyone what Viper had given her. All she knew was that the next chance she had she wanted to practice throwing.

Her best chance against the remaining hunters was to surprise them. They wouldn't be expecting a fight, but Thea refused to give in again. She had lost against Viper once and practically handed herself over then. Never again, Thea promised to herself, but she also had no intention of going to look for the fight. For now, she would follow Viper's advice about staying close to her brother.

Once inside, Thea watched as Felicity quickly exited what looked to be footage from outside, and instead of huffing about being spied on, Thea continued into the room where Oliver looked to be waiting. The look on his face said it all- he wasn't sure what to expect, and when she looked to Malcolm, he looked a tad bit hopeful until she glared at him. Viper said to let them help protect her, but she didn't say that Thea had to be nice to Mr. Merlyn.

"I think we should talk," Thea said after a deep breath. She indicated what he was wearing and the bow nearby on the table.

"I think so too," he said with a nod. He pointed to a back room away from prying ears, but before he went to follow Thea, he bent down and kissed Felicity on her head. He whispered to her, "Keep an eye on the cameras. The hunters…"

"It'll be fine," Felicity assured but she pulled up the feed anyway. "Good luck," she whispered after him before realizing that was probably a stupid thing to say. "Sorry," she quickly added, but his smirk told her that her words had made it better. She gave him a quick thumbs up, and then, he had disappeared from sight after his sister.

"Stop sulking," Digg muttered to Malcolm, who stared after them but did not follow as much as he looked like he wanted to.

Far from the others but not too far if things went wrong, the two siblings stood apart and uncertain. Unlike Moira, Thea was having a harder time accepting what her brother really was, and she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to. But they were siblings, and those five years away from him killed a small part inside her. She wasn't sure she was ready to let go of another part and throw away her brother… but she needed to hear from him first.

"Look Thea," Oliver began, but she held up her hand and shook her head.

"I need to go first," she said. She turned to look at him, and her eyes were downcast. "When you came back from the island, I was so happy. I missed you and I kept praying for you to come back through that door. Then you did, and you weren't the brother I remembered. You were distant and uncaring… or so I thought." She frowned as she thought back on that first year. "But you weren't any of that. I wanted my original brother, and he was those things. You are caring, and you might be distant but I don't think it's because you mean to be, is it? You were protecting me."

Oliver nodded mutely. "I did not want you to know…"

"You promised you'd tell me eventually what happened to you on the island," she continued. "I think you need to tell me. Now." She needed to understand the man in front of her as this was her brother.

Taking a deep breath, Oliver thought back on everything that happened. He had not even told Digg or Felicity everything, but this was his sister. Leaning back against the stone wall, he ran a weary hand across his face, and when he looked up, Thea was patiently waiting. "I wasn't alone on the island," he admitted.

"Slade?" Thea asked, and he nodded.

"But he wasn't the first or last," he answered. "For an uninhabited island, it was a bit overcrowded. Even in the first few days I was there, I ran into other people… and Thea, they weren't friendly." He couldn't get the image of Yao Fie out of his mind or Fryers. "My scars…"

It didn't take a lot for her to put it together from here, and she took a shuddering breath to try and calm herself. She had seen Oliver once without his shirt, and from then on, he had always been careful to keep his door shut and locked. She had wondered at one point if it had been because she asked about his scars, but she hadn't exactly considered what they had meant until now. Her mother had heard the reports and seen him as well- how did their mother not know about this? Or did she?

"Why is he here?" Thea finally got out. She had heard their mother say that Slade must have been from the island, but that didn't explain why now was Slade here trying to kill and ruin Oliver. At least the hunters made sense in that aspect.

Oliver sighed and closed his eyes, Shado smiled at him in his mind. "He was my friend… and I failed to save the woman he loved. He blames me for it."

Thea, at first, wanted to scream at Oliver that this was all about a girl. That their mother had died because of a lost love, but as she stared at her brother's hunched form, she realized that this was all a lot deeper than that. Something more happened on that island that had led to this, and it was killing him more than the mercenary actually was.

When he opened his mouth to obviously explain more, Thea interrupted, "You don't need to tell me." That garnered his attention, and he stared a bit in shock at his younger sister. She had always wanted to know everything, but in this case, she was accepting of not. "He's insane… and he killed Mom. He's going to kill you, isn't he?"

Oliver took a shuddering breath and nodded. "We're on a tightrope here Thea… against him and the hunters."

"Hence Malcolm," she elaborated. "To protect me from both sides, you teamed up with him." She took a tentative step forward and did the only thing she could think to do now. She hugged Oliver, and she refused to let go. "Thank you… for protecting me."

The Queen siblings shared a moment, and even when the hug entered uncomfortable territory, Oliver realized that Thea had no intention of letting go. She had dug her face into his green hood, and she wasn't letting go. He allowed her to stay there for as long as she needed. The last few weeks had been a lot on them both, and the snowball didn't look like it had any intention of stopping soon.

When Thea pulled away, her eyes a bit puffy but otherwise looking unaffected, she smiled up at her older brother. Holding out his hand, he offered to take her back to the main room where they could plan what to do next. Their plans to attack Slade had obviously gotten delayed, and he wasn't sure if attacking head-on was the best idea now. If he, Sara, and Malcolm died in the attack, there would be no one to protect Thea… and now knowing for certain that Talia was breaking every code in the League and having teamed up with Slade, Oliver couldn't even consider leaving her alone. Then there was the whole new issue of Sebastian Blood. Before the night was up, the Arrow was going to make one more visit. If this army was real, he had to find it.

Felicity glanced up when the two entered, and she stood and greeted Thea warmly. "I'm Felicity, Oliver's executive assistant… or was until he was fired… but then again, I was only his EA to hide, all this." She waved her hand at the current set-up. "And well, this wasn't our original set-up. You should have seen it. It was nice."

"Where was the original set-up?" Thea asked.

Digg rubbed his face when Felicity answered happily enough, "Under Verdant."

"You put your super secret vigilante base under my club?" Thea asked, mouth agape.

"It was my club to start," Oliver pointed out.

"And it's not so super secret anymore," Felicity frowned.

Digg held up his hand and counted off how many different people now knew its location… the list was rather long… and he added without issue all of those people that had broken in or out. On the last part, he looked to Malcolm.

"Use better ties," the elder Merlyn offered helpfully. He looked to his daughter, but she continued to ignore him. Partially scowling, he kept himself back and out of the way.

"Don't worry, we learned our lesson. Next time, we'll tie you up better… not that I'm saying there is a next time… or that I want you tied up… I'm just gonna," Felicity started before trailing off to Thea trying to hold back a laugh.

Malcolm rolled his eyes and ignored Felicity. His attention was still drawn to his daughter. When she was ready, she would approach him. He had thought after revealing Oliver's secret, she would be more open to him; instead, it looked that she had gone the other way. She stood close to Oliver, and occasionally, her eyes were drawn to the bows scattered on a nearby table… one of which was missing.

"Where's Viper's bow?" Malcolm asked. When the hunter had stormed past, she hadn't grabbed it to his knowledge.

"Where's Sara?" Oliver asked when he turned to the table and saw that yes the bow was missing… but so was the younger Lance sister.

…

Talia had a hundred other things on her mind after calling her father; he had not been thrilled to hear from her. Nor did he seem particularly receptive to the idea that his second best hunter had turned against him, so she used the most plausible explanation. That it wasn't that Viper had turned to Malcolm but more that it was to stand against her. Ra's had always known how little they had gotten along, so she had used that explanation.

Finally after a few well weaved lies, Ra's had finally agreed with his daughter and ordered Viper's execution. He had made it clear that if she had sided with Malcolm then she deserved his same fate. While originally Talia had decided it was too time consuming in chasing Merlyn, she was half tempted to find the two Merlyns' and Viper just for the chance to torture and kill all three. They made her blood boil; none of this was supposed to be this complicated. After her last mission, she had planned to take "time" to herself and instead meet with Slade… then Malcolm had to rear his head in Starling and force all these changes.

Since now she was out of time to hunt and Slade was almost ready to launch an attack on the city, Talia had to come up with a plan for Thea and Malcolm. She had sent Kali and Reese to try and find Viper, but she figured the archer was already out of Starling. This was now less about what her father wanted and more about soothing her own ego. She had never failed in an assignment, and she had let them slip through her fingers.

Talia's future vision of the League would keep this from ever happening. While the hunters had kept most from running, people still did, and those the League went after did not have enough fear in them. The people who got in the way of League business deserved everything that came to them. Her father would see it when she brought him twenty, not just assassins, but soldiers. No one would ever stand in the League's way again.

And that included the Queens and Merlyns'. Hence why she was here, at the hospital, staring down at the unconscious body of Roy Harper. He was apparently Thea's lover, and she knew what mirakuru did to the mind. With a few well-said words, Roy would go after Thea like a bull, and while he might not succeed in killing her, either Oliver or Malcolm would be forced to kill the insane-driven boy. That would, in Talia's mind, fantastic. Thea driven mad with grief might actually do the hunters' work for them and kill one of the two archers. Talia could respect and thoroughly enjoy such an occurrence.

With a happy hum and a sadistic grin, she leaned down and pulled every IV line out of the young man. His resistance to sedatives meant she had little time before he woke up, so she shot the dying police officer a wink before leaning down.

"You don't know what you're doing," the officer coughed out, blood trickling from his lips. "He's unstable."

"That's what I'm hoping for," she purred just as Roy's eyelids began to flutter. "Thea," she whispered, and she watched as his muscles tightened unconsciously. "Has moved on. She doesn't love you. She doesn't care for you, and she sees nothing in you. You're a street rat compared to her. You're nothing to her. And she knows this."

"Thea?" Roy groaned as he tried to fight his way to the surface. Talia smiled and grabbed his hand. In his current delirious state, he had no idea who was next to his bed.

"I never loved you," she continued. "I will never love you… I need you to kill me Roy." Feeling his hand tighten, Talia yanked away with a snarl. Straightening her uniform, she turned to leave only to see that the officer was still clinging to life. Since she did have a few more moments, she crouched down next to him and pulled out one of her shorter knives. Seeing his eyes widen and focus on her, she ran her tongue lightly on the flat end of the blade before she touched it to the officer's cheek. Holding his head still, she thoroughly enjoyed carving his face into an unrecognizable mess. Now that she had adequate paint, she stood and used the blood to write one large word on the wall: THEA. Reinforcement for Roy when he finally reached a truly awoken state.

That done, Talia turned and exited out the door. In the hallway, four more bodies littered the ground. A doctor, two nurses, and another police officer laid with vacant eyes, and their blood intermixing on the floor. When another doctor happened to step onto the floor, Talia drew her sword once more; a little more blood would coat the room that much better.

…..

"Wait!" Sara called out near the docks of the city. It was practically empty this time of night, save for one lone ex-hunter. She was leaning heavily against a stack of boxes, and she barely cracked her eyes when Sara rushed forward.

"What do you want Ms. Lance?" Viper hissed out, hand pressed firmly to her side. She had gotten farther then she had originally thought she would, but her energy had run its course. Another mile up the coast, there would be a boat waiting that she could take to a nearby airstrip. From there, she'd be able to get back to Nanda Parbet. By now, she had expected a hunter to catch up with her… she hadn't been expecting one of Oliver's teammates. When the Canary moved in, Viper couldn't help but tense up, thus sending more pain into her abdomen.

"You were easy to track," Sara explained stopping just short of the ex-hunter. "A blood trail?"

"And Oliver would have been just as easy," the ex-hunter growled. "It was not safe to stay. I have to return to Nanda Parbet, so whatever you want to do, get it over with. Kill me, drag me back… I am not up for such dramatics tonight."

"I'm not doing either," she admitted quietly. Instead, she approached more slowly and helped to balance the hunter against the crates. She pulled one of Viper's arms over her shoulder and took some of the weight. That's when Viper noticed her bow was slung around Sara. "I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not," she sighed. "As I told Ms. Queen, it is not safe to return with me."

Sara didn't comment on Thea, but she pressed on otherwise. "I was once a League member, and in your state, you cannot make it back on your own. Not before one of the hunters catch up to you, and then, you'll be useless to us."

Viper frowned at that comment but admitted defeat. Getting this far had been difficult enough, and it was pure luck she hadn't been found. "If you return, Ra's will force you to swear your oath again, and this time, you will not be able to escape it."

"Oliver won't be able to do it." Sara had begun to notice this light inside of her ex-lover, and while she was grateful that he had found it, she still found herself in the dark. "The island changed us both. Oliver became a better person, and I became something else entirely. I'm done fighting it."

"You're a good person," Viper bitterly chuckled. "You're just an assassin. You can be both Ms. Lance."

"Which is why I'm coming back with you," she explained. "Hopefully, I can help convince Ra's what Talia is doing here and save your head while I'm at it."

"This has nothing to do with Nyssa?"

Sara paused before answering, "It has everything to do with Nyssa." Her love for the daughter of Ra's Al-Ghul had brought her to this moment. She was returning not only to help Oliver do what was necessary, but because she was done fighting what she wanted… that was to be with Nyssa. Being away from the League hadn't made her free; being with Nyssa had. "We need an army, Viper… it's the only way we can save Starling City."

"Then I hope you have an amazing argument for Ra's as he will not listen."

"Maybe not to us, but he might for Nyssa."

**Note:** Before I go into "expect this and this and this" I want to mention an amazing fic by Bloodsong 13T. It's an AU of chapter 51 of this story. It's a what if Viper had stayed on Talia's side, and thus Thea had been brought in for "blood for blood". It a major Malcolm whump with a M rating, but it's amazing. Bloodsong might have created a more sadistic Talia then I did, but this inspired me to get this chapter out quicker. So viola. Here's the link, so if you want to read what might have happened if team Arrow had lost: (s/10642212/1/Blood-for-Blood)

ALSO if any of you want to use the hunters or my version of Talia or Viper- go for it. Just give 'credit' back that it was off of this story in some manner. I don't mind, just send me a message. Not for permission, but so I can find it to read it. I love to read what other people say "what might have" happened. So thank you guys :)

Now expect Slade next chapter as I lied last chapter (things change and get longer), and now Viper won't be seen for a bit. I forgot I hadn't sent Sara off, so I made up for that here.  
I hope you all like Thea and Oliver's moment. They needed to talk, and after everything, I saw them coming together and trying to overcome what lies ahead. Anyway, enjoy your weekend; next chapter should hopefully be up sometime during the week.


	55. Missing Scene from Chapter 51: Honor

**Note prior to fic:** After Bloodsong's excellent job on "Blood for Blood", I was sort of inspired me to put this out early. This is the scene between the hunters and Malcolm while the rest of the team is unconscious. This is currently on its own, but it will be added eventually to a one-shot series corresponding with Short Change Hero, so it will be eventually removed from Short Change Hero and go into its own place. YOU DO NOT NEED to READ this if you don't want. It's just an extra scene, mostly because Bloodsong requested it done, so voila. Thank you for AUing my fic first ;)

**Warning:** Violence, blood

**Missing Scene from Chapter 51**

Reese and Kali worked silently, chairs scrapping across the pavement. Never once did the two subordinate hunters glance up from their job, and they worked efficiently together. Rope was already coiled on a nearby table, and the entirety of team Arrow laid sprawled across the floor in different physical states.

Some had been more difficult to subdue then Talia would have liked. She had purposefully targeted Oliver first knowing he was highly trained and in different ways then the hunters really had worked with before. When she had arrived in the Foundry, her first order of business had to be certain that he would be out of combat. Once he was down, the others had been more compliant. It had taken both Kali and Reese, though, to force Malcolm down, and even then, he had almost broken Kali's arm in the struggle. For that, Talia hadn't held back in a swift kick to the traitor's head.

Viper, on the other side of the Foundry, worked just a quietly and quickly to hang the chains from the salmon ladder. She had scaled the bars to the top and was securing the chains tightly; every League member was trained to escape situations such as these. The last thing they wanted was for their prey to escape… again. The archer was still frustrated that the first time she had captured Malcolm by using Thea as bait had failed, and in the end, she had needed the rest of the hunters to help.

The Al Ghul grinned at that thought and licked her lower lip sensually. It wasn't often Viper failed, and the elder daughter had to revel in that for a moment. She thoroughly enjoyed watching the archer hard at work for her.

Silently, Viper flipped down from the salmon ladder, and landed in a crouch on the floor below. Glancing up at her work, she concluded it would take a great deal of acrobatic work for anyone, even one of the hunters, to escape those chains. When she looked to Talia, she saw a nod of approval, and she felt a shudder of disgust run up her spine. The last thing she ever wanted to do was have Talia's attention on her.

"If you would," Talia called out, gesturing to Malcolm. He was unconscious on his side, eyes closed and breathing even.

Drawing a knife, Viper approached and gently nudged the elder Merlyn. There was no response, and he rolled without resistance onto his back. She wouldn't be able to hold any sort of weapon if she drug his dead weight over to the ladder, but she wasn't about to ask for Reese or Kali's help. They looked too joyful in restraining Oliver and his team.

A few times the other hunters had drawn knives and teased them against the unconscious vigilante's face, murmuring and laughing as they did so. Talia looked pleased with the scene as well, so Viper ignored them all and went about her task. Sheathing the blade, she grabbed Malcolm's arm, used her legs, and started to drag him to the ladder.

One second too late, she realized her mistake. His arm muscles had tensed when she had grabbed him, but before she could adjust and grab a weapon, Malcolm's eyes had opened. He pulled hard on her hand, sending her forward. Her curse grabbed her teammates' attentions, but they otherwise didn't move from their tasks.

Righting herself, Viper used the momentum to lean forward on her hands and kick Malcolm hard in the face. Standing, she turned to see Malcolm had risen to his feet and was wiping the blood from his lip. His expression was simply put livid, and she had to give him credit for not stinking of fear. When she went to attack again, Talia whistled and called her off.

"Help Kali and Reese," she ordered, her eyes flashing dangerously as she considered the elder Merlyn. "I'm sure that they," she continued referring to Oliver and the others, "will wake soon without some assistance."

Understanding that Talia wanted her to chemically restrain them, Viper nodded and stepped back. She glared at Malcolm, one that promised retribution for catching her off-guard, but she followed Talia's order without further delay.

"Hello again Malcolm," Talia greeted with a smile. "It's been some years has it not?"

The archer didn't answer, only scowled, and tried to glance around inconspicuously to find where his bow had gone. He had strength on Talia, but she always had a trick up her sleeve. Unlike him, Talia stood relaxed with her arms crossed in front of her. She tilted her head and considered her opponent.

"Hang yourself up," she said referring to the chains behind him. Before that, he hadn't seen them, but not that he had, it was hard to hide the fact that his breath caught. There was only one reason to tie everyone else up in chairs but not him. He wanted to say that he should have left with Thea weeks ago, but he'd be lying if he hadn't felt something for leaving Oliver to deal with the remaining hunters and Slade. "Make it easy on yourself," she continued.

Malcolm snarled; he would never simply give up without a fight. Which was exactly what Talia was hoping for; she didn't hesitate a moment longer in closing the distance between them. She purposefully let her body scream her first attack, a high right rook. When he ducked back, it forced him to put a lot of weight on his back feet, and Talia leaped to plant both of her feet into his chest. He went back, hard, while she landed with a small 'oomph' on her hands and knees.

Rolling forward, she came back to rest on the soles of her feet, and when she turned, she saw Malcolm rubbing his chest but otherwise up. He had kept his balance better than she thought he would have; he had obviously kept up with his training seriously after leaving the League.

This time Malcolm tried to go on the offensive, but Talia kept dancing out of range of anything he tried. She wasn't even trying to defend herself; she just kept the distance between them. The entire time her eyes never left his, and the smirk never faded from her face.

When he finally got his hands on her, he could tell it was because she wanted him to. He had one wrist trapped between their bodies, and the other was blocking his attempt to get at her throat. All she did was laugh and whisper, "Do you want to hear what I'm going to do to your daughter? Lovely skin, pretty eyes, a tongue she does like to use a lot… So many places to start."

He growled and tried to use his superior strength to break her hold, but she suddenly ducked under and spun out to the side. He was thrown forward, and while he still had a grip on her wrist, she turned it on him. With a twist, his arm was now behind his back followed by a hard kick straight to his spine.

"I expected more," Talia said as he worked to get back to his hands and knees. "Too bad." She waved Viper over, who had spent the entirety of her time watching the fight. "Get him up and in chains," she hissed. The archer nodded and seized Malcolm by the back of the neck.

When he went to take a swing at her, Viper pressed a blade firmly against the bottom side of his neck. "The more you struggle, the more she will do to Thea," Viper snarled quietly. "I suggest you consider that Mr. Merlyn." When he ceased his efforts, she pointed to the chains hanging from the salmon ladder, and he sighed deeply and relaxed.

Viper didn't expect his to actually be willing to chain himself up, so his sudden subordinate behavior was odd. Nonetheless, she waited for his body to ease a bit more before thrusting a small syringe into his neck. The moment the needle pierced the skin, he went to fight again, but it was too late. The drug, a simple, relaxer made him lax in his grip.

Without even asking for help, Reese had finally moved over to help now that the rest had been restrained. He helped Viper to heave Malcolm over to the salmon ladder, and by the time they had gotten him there even, he was already clawing his way past the drug. It was a small dose, so considering his body size, Viper was surprised it had last this long.

However before Malcolm could fully function again, they had both of his wrists chained to the ladder. His feet hung just a mere few inches from the floor. The strain on his shoulder would be uncomfortable, but Viper doubted that would be the only thing causing him pain soon. Talia had already gone to fetch her bag, and now in her hand, she held a small curved, serrated blade.

Viper stood solidly on her toes and check each manacle again, and while she was there, she whispered into Malcolm's ear, for only him to hear, "I suggest you please her. If she bores with you, she will move to your daughter. Blood for blood."

As if nothing had passed between them, Viper removed herself from Malcolm's presence and took up a guard position next to a nearby column. She leaned against it and shot the prisoners only one more look before closing her eyes and focusing on the sounds in the room. If they were interrupted, it would be from someone skilled, and the only way to be certain they had arrived was to know what the Foundry normally sounded like.

"Malcolm Merlyn," Talia purred, standing close to her captive, knife between them. "How far the mighty have fallen." She teased the blade slowly against his shirt buttons, but he focused on her face and glared. He hadn't decided if he wanted to curse the Al Ghul or spit in her face; either way, he was certain it would cost him his tongue. "Father always had a thing for archers," she continued, her eyes barely sliding over to Viper before returning to him. "You were missed when you left."

The blade cut through a few of his lower buttons, but he continued to cling to his resolve. He remembered once when he had thought he had Oliver fully contained, and the boy had escaped within a few hours. They each had been in worse situations, but Malcolm wasn't sure how long Talia planned to drag this out. She wouldn't hesitate in maiming him or any of the others to prevent escape then continue this for days.

Licking his lips nervously, Malcolm finally addressed the assassin, "Talia. I request to be returned to your father for punishment." It would be a better death, and he had that right. He might have turned down Viper's offer, but Talia had to give him the same choice.

Seizing his chin, Talia met his gaze, fire in her eyes. He felt the tip of the knife pierce his side, but it didn't go more than a few centimeters deep. She pulled it from his side to his front. It wasn't deep enough for internal bleeding or for her to have nicked anything, but blood started to run freely down his side.

"You have no such privilege," she hissed, her usual calm demeanor vanishing. She ran the knife gently up until it touched his sternum from under his shirt, and she pressed it into the bone. Malcolm bit hard into the side of his mouth and tried not to give her any satisfaction of him in pain.

Talia's anger dissipated as she watched Malcolm struggle to not scream, and she turned the knife to his third lowest right rib. She loved her father, but she had captured Malcolm. He was hers to punish; he had sent her here for just this. When Malcolm was sent back to Nanda Parbet, it would be in pieces.

Pressing the knife past the rib, she went deep enough to hit muscle but not enough to catch any organ. When he went to lurch forward to try and force her to catch his lung, she twisted the knife and stuck it firmly into the rib with serrated edge. She used her other hand to press against his side wound and force his back firmly against the ladder. Blood trickled down her fingers, and from his few small struggles, she had gotten some droplets on her face.

"I've just started," she said gleefully. "And you're adding unwanted details to my work." She could see the hooded look in his eyes as he worked to steady himself as they were all taught. "How did that business meeting go by the way? That one in China all those years ago?" When he didn't answer quickly enough, she pulled on the knife, cutting across the bone. He slammed his own head against the metal, whether to quiet himself or knock himself unconscious, Talia wasn't certain. Neither worked particularly well, so he was forced to meet her gaze.

"I closed it," he hissed. He remembered Viper's words; he had to keep Talia entertained or she might go after his daughter. He needed to dull his reactions enough to pique her interest but not hang like a limp ragdoll either. "What were you doing in China anyway?"

"Hunting of course," she sighed as she released the knife. She ran a finger across the hilt, but it stayed firmly lodged in Malcolm's rib. "Foolish girl thought she could run from her duties in the League."

"Do you always go after the runners?" he asked as he gulped down a batch of fresh air.

"They broke League code," she shrugged. "The severity of their crime is of no consequence to me." She reached up, fingertips quenched his blood, and ran them across his cheek, smearing his own blood as she did so. "Though I do regret that one. My sister had traveled with me. One of the few times she did." As she spoke her eyes trailed to where Sara sat tied up, and she narrowed her gaze on the blonde. "And that was when we found that one," she hissed referring to Sara.

Malcolm forced his gaze over to the unconscious Sara; he hadn't realized how close they all had come to running into each other. In China, he had also brought his son that week too. If he had seen Ms. Lance on his trip, so much of her life could have been different.

"And you know Nyssa, she can't leave a drowning bird alone," Talia sighed. "If it wasn't for her, I'm certain I could have convince my sister to join us and this." She snatched the knife again and pulled it out abruptly. He panted and tried to focus past the pain running through his body.

"I've met her when I had her tied up," he growled, knowing full well this wasn't the best time for this. "I could have hurt her, and if I had…"

Talia hooked the knife into the side of Malcolm's mouth, and he stopped abruptly. Talia's face had steeled, and she looked less than amused. Nyssa was still her baby sister, and to think this piece of trash had captured her set her veins on fire. There wasn't enough blood in his system to calm her raging heart. However if she killed him or damaged him too much, it wouldn't be as much amusement when they brought his daughter in to suffer the same fate. It had been some time since she had drawn out a death like she wanted to drag his out, so she needed a bit of practice first.

Standing on her toes, she planted a soft kiss to Malcolm's cheek, the side away from the knife, and once she had stepped back, she had centered herself again. Wiping the knife on her thigh, she returned it to her bag and lightly ran her fingers across the whip she had in there for special occasions. In her periphery, she watched as Malcolm tensed up, but instead of grabbing it as she was half-tempted to do, she turned back with a syringe in hand again.

"This one should keep you out until the others are awake," she purred as she grabbed the back of his hair and forced him to bare his neck. "I've always been one to put on a show." She emptied the plunger into his jugular. It would work quickly, and within seconds, he was hanging limply.

"You shouldn't empty too many different drugs into his system," Viper said coming forward and considering Talia's handiwork. It could have been much worse. "His heart will give out."

"Will this kill him?" she asked, holding up the syringe in her hand. Viper leaned in and considered it before shaking her head no.

"Just avoid more tranquilizers unless you want his blood pressure to plummet," she explained. She wasn't doing this to make it better for Mr. Merlyn; if anything by explaining how her different concoctions worked, it could make it worse. However the longer Talia was amused with the elder archer, the less she would care about anyone else and be less likely to create a massive body count while here.

"Do you have anything that targets nerve endings?" she asked with a frown. Viper knew what she wanted: something to keep the traitor in a constant state of pain.

"I do," the archer said. "But I'd team that one with a sedative of some sort. Constant pain can also cause the heart to give up."

"Knives are so much easier," she smiled as she looked back on the blood dripping away from Malcolm. The smell of rich red substance now coating the floor set her mind on fire; there was so much else she wanted to do now. Her imagination was running wild, and she had so much inspiration she wanted to test out on a less than willing subject.

"Perhaps, but I'll mix them up for you if you want." Viper watched as Talia nodded her consent, and the hunter moved away. She planned to add a bit of viper venom to one of the batches. This could go on for days, and the quicker it ended, the better for everyone. She'd have to hide it in one of the latter vials, but when Talia would finally use it, the toxin would cause his heart to give out. Just as Viper explained it could happen.

She didn't want to end Malcolm's suffering too early, but she didn't want half the city to get destroyed in Talia's wake either. Sometimes a mercy to one could be a mercy to everyone…

**Note:** So I sort of tied something else in this chapter (extra chapter), but I won't say what because I know some of you are staying away from spoilers. It isn't an explicit spoiler I suppose since we know from the end of season 2 where Oliver was… but I'm not going to say anymore.

And yes I manipulated how Sara and Nyssa met, but I thought 'eh, looks good here'  
This will probably be the only really "bloody" chapter, but here's a missing scene. I'll get to work on the next chapter now :P.


	56. Insignificant

**Chapter 55**

After multiple attempts at ringing Sara with no answer, Oliver thoughtfully eyed a table to flip. Wherever she had gone, she had disappeared; Felicity couldn't find her on any camera, and she had ditched her tracker a few blocks away. For a moment, Oliver had worried that she had been taken by Talia, but he noticed that it wasn't just Viper's bow that was missing. All of her gear had gone too, which told him that she had purposefully left.

"Maybe I can…" Felicity began, but when she Oliver's face, she ceased trying. Instead, she laid her hands in her lap and waited for the inevitable; however, she was shocked when he calmed himself and stood quietly, eyes closed.

"Now what?" Thea asked, glancing around. Digg was sitting on a table, and he looked uncertain about what was coming next too. Malcolm, on the other hand, was dressed for the night, and without a word, he had turned and grabbed his bow.

"You're not coming with me," Oliver growled, his eyes boring into the elder Merlyn. The two glared at each other, and it was obvious that the Dark Archer was ready to simply ignore the younger archer. "You were hurt. You're a liability in the field."

"Hurt?" she murmured, chancing a glance at her not-father. He did look a tad pale, and he was not entirely steady on his feet. However, she only noticed these things only when her brother had pointed them out. "Wait… Where are you going?" she continued turning on her older brother.

"I have work to do," he answered, snatching his bow, and pushing out of the room without another word.

"That's more then what we get sometimes," Digg said once Oliver was out of earshot. When Malcolm looked ready to follow, the ex-soldier clasped him on the shoulder and pushed him into a seat with little resistance. "If you go out, you're asking for Talia to chase you down."

To that, Malcolm could admit that he wasn't at one hundred percent. While he had been through worse, that had been years ago, and he had never tried to force himself right back into the field so soon after. The knife was still practically on his skin, and he could feel its phantom presence against his muscles. Setting his bow on a nearby table, he rested his face in his hands and tried to relax.

"Felicity," Digg continued, and the IT girl went hard at work. They hadn't needed Oliver to say anything to know what they each needed to. Both of them slipped a comm into their ears before offering one to Thea, and hesitantly, she took it and placed it in her ear as well. The moment she had it in, she could hear her brother ordering what cameras he wanted pulled up.

Thea watched in a bit of awe as on every security camera on Felicity's screen showed her brother dressed as the vigilante at Sebastian Blood's office. She wasn't sure what to expect now; the news reports dressed her brother as a murderer one second and a savior the next. In this moment, she wasn't sure which one she was looking at.

After Moira Queen's death, it hadn't taken much work for Sebastian Blood to secure his position as mayor. With no other contender, he had taken the top vote easily, and as of yesterday morning, he had moved into his new place. Since then, he hadn't exactly left the office; instead, he had holed himself up. There was a lot to do with everything that was coming up, and he would need every resource available to rebuild what could be destroyed in the fight.

The last thing Sebastian expected was for the lights to dim in the office, and then for the vigilante to be standing before him once more. They hadn't spoken in a while, but each time they did, Blood felt a bit of thrill at the fact together they could save this city. He did worry a bit about how the Arrow would react to the plans of a mirakuru infused army, but he was certain he could sway the masked man.

"It's good to see you again," Sebastian began, but he quickly noted how differently the vigilante stood, bow tight in hand. This set Sebastian on edge, and he reached carefully under the table for the gun he had strapped there.

"You have no idea who Slade Wilson really is," Oliver began. He wanted nothing more than to put an arrow in the man in the skull mask, but he refrained and calmed himself. The only way he could help save the city was adhering to the rules he had set for himself. "What kind of a man he is. He is going to destroy this city."

Blood was a bit taken back by the fact the vigilante seemingly now knew what his plans were and who his alliances were. He had thought that the archer wouldn't have figured it out until the attack was practically launched. He tightened his grip on his gun and tried a reassuring smile. "He's going to help us save it."

"And where do you get that idea from?" he growled, body poised for an attack. "He's kidnapped and killed people without even thinking twice about it. This man is not a friend."

"The only people he's hurt has been those connected to Oliver Queen," Blood explained as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Not once did his smile drop from his face, and he kept himself relatively relaxed given how the current conversation was turning hostile. "Moira's death was regrettable, but the sacrifice of a few for the good of many. Don't you see that?"

In his ear, he heard Thea's growl. To them, Moira's death was not something insignificant; it had crushed each of them. Now for Sebastian to say how little it mattered, it upset both Queen siblings, far deeper than words could explain. Oliver had put on the hood to save the city and to protect the people he loved, and the loss of his best friend now mother… and to hear someone else wanted to practically set off another bomb in the city…

"It wasn't regrettable. It was pointless!" Oliver almost shouted. "You let that monster into the city, and you think he's going to save it? He's going to do exactly what Malcolm Merlyn did, and you will be just as guilty."

In his ear, he could hear Felicity trying to calm him and then warn him that Sebastian had hit a silent alarm. A few minutes would be all it would take for the police to surround the building, and that's all the time he had to convince Blood to give up Slade's army's whereabouts.

"Sebastian," Oliver begged, "Slade is going to level this city. I would know." With that, he pulled down his hood and watched as his former friend recoiled. "He came to this city to take away everything from me because of something… that happened in the past. But he's going to take this city with him." He loosened his grip on his bow. "You need to tell me where he is keeping his army. I have to stop him. Please."

Sebastian stumbled over his words as he tried to register the sight in front of him. "Of course you're the Arrow," he muttered at first as he tried to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. "You're wrong," Sebastian finally forced out. "He's going to save this city." However, it sounded less resolved now.

Oliver growled and looked utterly frustrated. "This city is going to burn… because of you." The sirens outside indicated the arrival the police, so he pulled his hood up. Shooting Blood one last look, he ran to a window just as the police rushed in. A few opened fire, but most kept their guns holstered.

Back at base, Thea watched in utter fascination at how controlled her brother was in front of the man that had helped to kill their mother. She remembered the partier before the island, and she wondered how she hadn't seen all these changes before now. The way he held himself, the way he closed himself off- all of it had screamed at how utterly different he was. She realized how blind she had been prior to this and how stupid and young she had reacted to everything she had learned in the last two years.

"Well that sucked," Felicity sighed. "Guess now we have to move onto plan b, or probably plan m at this point."

"You have an idea?" Digg asked.

"We know that Isabel took over Queen Consolidated for Slade… and based on the records, it looks like she's turned that building into a mirakuru production center."

"To juice up his army," Digg sighed.

"So how do we stop it, Ms. Smoak?" Malcolm asked, joining their little circle, but he purposefully placed himself as far from his daughter as possible. She didn't even look up as he joined.

"Well, we could… blow the building up?" Felicity offered. "That sounded way better in my head." For a moment, no one spoke.

"That's my father's building," Thea murmured sadly.

But over the comm, they heard one clear command, _"Do it._"

…..

Slade was overjoyed at the sight of his army, unconscious, and the serum hard at work. Twenty of those before him were League of Assassin members. They were comfortably sedated and already halfway through the process. Nearby, Reese waited patiently for some word from Slade; since he had started, Talia had made it clear that one hunter was to remain on the premises at all times.

The mercenary wasn't thrilled by the lack of trust, but he was not a fool. He knew what Talia had planned for him once she had seen what her new soldiers could do. What she seemingly forgot was how hard he would be to kill, and that he had the majority of soldiers. Fifty to her twenty. He was curious to see how she would try at the very least.

"How is it going?" the she-devil asked as she entered the sub-basement. Her eyes gleamed as she considered her twenty loyalists; her fingers brushed one of their hairlines.

"Good," Reese answered for Slade. "They went under with no issue, and no signs of any complications." He looked up from his card game and bowed his head to his leader. "Has Kali found Viper?"

"No," Talia growled. "Vanished."

"Do you want me to head out and try my luck as well?" he asked. "Kali is a good tracker, but I am better."

With one word from her, he was out the door. If luck was on their side, Kali and Reese would return with their ex-brethren, alive and breathing, so that Tali could enjoyably end her life. To the Al Ghul, Viper should have done her job when she was first sent here by killing the entire Merlyn bloodline. She wouldn't have batted an eye had the Queen family followed them, but the archer was such a stickler to the code. Talia should have seen the betrayal coming, but she had thought it would have taken a few more days.

"One of you own?" Slade asked, snapping her to the present.

"Viper skipped town before I could kill her," she explained. "It's of little consequence." That was the truth of it; the ex-hunter was nothing. Her father had been made aware of the situation, and if Viper was smart, she'd run and disappear. But Talia was smart and the two hunters had spent their lives together training, so she knew what Viper would do. She'd find a way to adhere to the code and stop the Al Ghul.

"Is it now?" Slade asked with a hiss. He did not want anything or anyone to be in their way.

"There's nothing she can do in the time she has," Talia growled; she did not appreciate how the mercenary was glaring her down. Even with the mirakuru, she was not afraid of him. Death never frightened her, and she embraced it if anything. "She'd need an army to stop us."

"Your father…"

"Is aware of the situation as I have appropriately spun it," she said with a wave of her hand. "He will kill her before helping her. Touching a daughter of Ra's al Ghul, in it and of itself, is a death sentence in the League."

…..

Roy stumbled out of the hospital, disoriented and confused, but awake. He did not understand what exactly had happened or what day it was. The last thing he remembered was facing down the vigilante, and then, there was nothing.

"Roy?" Thea called quietly, and he spun happy to hear her voice. The look on her face stopped him in his tracks. "Roy, how could you think I would care about something like you? You're a freak. I don't love you."

"Don't say that," he croaked out. "Don't…"

"You're nothing to me," she laughed hollowly. "You should just kill me. You should find me and kill me. Because I will never love you." She vanished as if she was never there, and no matter how many times he shouted her name, she didn't reappear.

The first cop that showed up was unlucky enough to be thrown through the glass doors of the hospital, and anyone who got in his way from then on, he dispatched with a shout of rage. He had to find Thea… he needed to find her.

Roy had barely stepped into the street when a car slammed into him, and he remained standing. He barely registered the person in the car, shouting at him, before he had ripped the door off and had thrown the driver into another car driving in the opposite lane. He didn't glance back to see if they got up; instead, he drove with a fervor to the Queen mansion. She had to be there; if not there, then the club.

**Note:** Shorter chapter, but more of a filler I suppose than anything else. But I wanted to post a 'real' chapter after a missing scene chapter. Next chapter, Thea and Malcolm share a few more words than normal, Oliver and co try to slow Slade down… Sebastian confronts Slade, and a lot of stuff just starts to happen.


	57. Nature & Nurture

**Chapter 56**

Thea had been less than thrilled at being ordered to stay hidden at the current vigilante base, but when Oliver had returned, he had made himself quite clear on the matter. To pull off Felicity's plan, they had to return to the Foundry underneath Verdant, and no one was quite sure if it was empty. The security cameras showed no activity, but that wasn't a guarantee when it came to League hunters.

Worse yet, Oliver and Malcolm had shared a few heated words, but by the time they had both calmed, Malcolm had agreed that he should stay behind as well. Thea was unsure if that was because her brother had actually convinced him with words or because one well aimed punch had sent him reeling. She doubted her brother meant to do damage; he was simply making a point that Mr. Merlyn was more of a liability than anything else.

That meant while Felicity, Diggle, and Oliver were out blowing buildings up, she was stuck here with the man she had been doing her best to avoid. She tried to find the farthest corner from him as possible, and he looked to be on the same page when he kept his distance.

Malcolm found a chair and relaxed into it to try and sleep; the unfamiliarity of the place kept him on edge though, so he doubted he'd get much of anything here. However this night had been exhausting in more ways than one, so he worked to forcefully shut his mind down. There weren't any threats nearby, save for perhaps his daughter, but old habits kept his bow close. He was still livid that Oliver had forced him to stay behind, and Malcolm could have ignored him easily… however, the older Queen had made a good point that if he went with, Thea would have been left alone. Something he was beginning to refuse to do considering how much trouble she had a tendency to land herself in.

From her corner, Thea observed how her not-father seemed to lull himself into sleep; his breathing evened out, and his body relaxed. If she wanted to escape, now would be the time to do it, but she found she couldn't get her feet to cooperate. Viper's words, however, reverberated in her mind: the rest of the League would still be hunting her, and she needed to stay safe.

At the very least, Thea understood that she was more protected here at her brother's hideout in comparison to the outside world. He wouldn't have left her with Malcolm if he hadn't been comfortable with it himself.

Wandering about, she didn't pay particular attention to anything, including the cameras. She had already pulled out the comm and placed it on a nearby table. She was interested in what her brother did, especially now that she had the truth, but the cameras were stationary outside the wherever she was. That meant that she could only hear what was going on without much else, so she had decided to just wait until they returned to actually get the story.

Without thinking, Thea had made her way over to Malcolm and his bow. She found herself unconsciously running her fingers down the carbon frame, and while it had been a few years, more like seven plus, she had the urge to pick the bow up. When she was younger, she had been quite good in archery, but after Oliver disappeared, her passion had as well. Now with everyone running around the city using one, the temptation had returned.

Chancing a glance at Malcolm, she saw he was slumbering uninterrupted, and deciding it couldn't do much harm, she seized the bow and danced away a few steps. Gripping the bow tight in her left hand, she tried to pull the bow back dry to start, but the draw was too tight. She wasn't shocked to find she didn't have the muscle capability of pulling back the bow, so she took a seat to adjust the poundage to a point that she could pull.

Once done, she found Malcolm's quiver and quietly stole a few spares. In the corner sat a spare target, and she set herself up as far back as she could with a clean line of sight. It had been awhile, so she quickly checked to be sure there wasn't anything of real value around the target before notching an arrow.

Some things were hard to forget for Thea, so without meaning too, she drew a deep breath as she pulled the string taut. It practically kissed her cheek, and in that moment, she remembered the feel from when she was a child. She recalled how her father, her real and dead father, would come to watch her shoot, and each time after they were done, he would take her for a burger and shake.

Emotions running high, her first arrow completely missed the target, and she released the breath she had been holding. The form was rusty, but she recognized quickly what was off and adjusted accordingly. Resting her feet more appropriately apart, she drew another arrow and aimed. The tears welling up in her eyes threatened to spill over as she thought more and more on the father that was gone… and because of the man behind her… her brother had, in turn, spent five years on an island becoming… this vigilante. Now Slade…

She envisioned that man instead of the target, and her arrow stuck. It wasn't in the center, but considering how long it had been, she was rather surprised she hit the target on her second try. Lowering the bow an inch, she stared at where the arrow was stuck, and with a barely concealed snarl, she drew another arrow and put another two into the target- this time she envisioned the hunters… for a brief second, she had even thought of Malcolm. She went to shake him from her thoughts only to realize he was actually standing there, watching her with a calculating gaze.

"Didn't think you'd mind," she said. The bow dropped to her side.

"I didn't know you," he began, but she refused to let him get a word in.

With a sigh, Thea crossed her arms in front and growled, "I use to love archery until my brother was swept away." The flinch across Malcolm's face was obvious; he looked wounded over it. "And why would you know? You're not my father."

He didn't appreciate her words, not after everything he had thus gone thru to protect her. He had almost handed himself over to Viper for her, and more recently, he had faced Talia. She was his daughter, whether or not, she wanted to admit it.

Before he could voice any of this though, Thea had marched on and continued, "My real father. The one who took me to my archery lessons is dead. Because of you." The few tears she had found it in her to hold back finally spilled over. "He's gone, and I'm stuck with you. He was a good man." She shoved his bow back into his hands and turned away to find a corner out of sight to try and calm her tears.

For a stretch of time, Malcolm found himself unwilling to move. When he had woke to see his daughter using his bow, a spark of hope had flickered inside of him. Tommy had never taken to any of the fighting arts, and it had been one more thing that had pulled them apart. To see his daughter, strong and unwavering, hit the target on her second try; he had been proud. He hadn't thought when he had stood to watch, and he didn't think she would have responded so cruelly to his presence. Malcolm knew she was right though- he had killed her father, the man who had raised her, and banished her brother.

The bow slammed into a nearby wall as he wanted the thing as far from himself as possible. The clang of the carbon fiber striking the cement most likely echoed through the building, but he found little reason to care. Instead, he pulled off his tunic and went about checking his wounds that Talia had so graciously gave him.

The one on his side was shallow, but it would scar. It ran from under his ribs in a curve up to his sternum, where a dark bruise was also now forming. Diggle had done an adequate job fixing it up with the little time they all had. For that, Malcolm was grateful; it was the other wound, the one Talia had dug a blade practically into his rib that refused to leave him. The pain was unrelenting, and he growled as he pulled the gauze away to see the angry flesh around the stitches.

Sitting alone in this new Foundry, he worked diligently to cut out the sutures and do a set of his own. Somewhere deep within the building, Thea sat alone- tears having finally dried…

…

Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle sat quietly outside of Robert Queen's Applied Sciences of Queen Consolidated. It was a last ditch effort to try and slow Slade and his army, but it was the last thing he wanted to do. This was his father's last remaining legacy, and Oliver didn't want to be the cause of it ending. Sure, he was technically one of Robert's as well, but over the last two years, Oliver felt he had done an excellent job of separating himself from his father. It had been to protect his secret and to honor the promise he had made… and now, he found he had to do one more terrible thing to continue that.

In the car, Felicity reached over silently and took Oliver's hand. She squeezed gently, offering him her strength, and he wordlessly nodded his thanks. Right now, he needed all the backing he could get. Between Talia and Slade, he was running on empty, and he wasn't sure who terrified him more now. The Foundry had been too close of a call, and it had been pure luck that Viper had chosen them, her code, over Talia. Well perhaps not luck, but they had been lucky nonetheless.

What frightened Oliver wasn't the fact he had to stand against two enemies now… he had done that countless times… it was the fact Felicity had implanted herself into the fight. Talia would never forgive or forget if she lived through this upcoming fight. Felicity and Thea would be in danger for the rest of the hunter's life; Malcolm was of little consequence now. They all had gotten in Talia's way, and she had added them to her list.

"You ready?" Digg asked, snapping Oliver back to the car.

"Let's go," he ordered. They each pulled their ski masks over their face and bolted for the iron-linked fence.

Security had been beefed up the last few days after what had occurred with the Huntress and Sara and Nyssa. Extra precautions were being taken, and they were only targeting what they specifically knew Slade needed for the mirakuru production. At the door to the west wing, Felicity went to work on the electronic lock. She pulled out a small tablet and worked to decode the sequence needed.

"Come on," Oliver urged to which she shot him a frustrated look. She was working as fast as she could; it wasn't like she had on her a key that could open any door.

"Can you hack through six firewalls with numerous backdoors while working backwards to cover your tracks?" Felicity asked. Moments later, she murmured, "Open sesame." And the door clicked open. "I always wanted to say that."

The three rushed inside, and while Oliver dealt with any remaining guards, the other two moved around quickly to set the charges. They did not want to be the building when it went off. While they were only targeting specific sections of the building, the fire would most likely destroy anything the bombs didn't.

"Check," Felicity confirmed after she had stuck her last one; moments later, Digg echoed.

When they reached the front of the building, Oliver was already waiting with six guards. They weren't dead, but they weren't conscious either. Digg helped to carry three out while Oliver dealt with the other three. They left them out of the blast radius and out of the way of any potential debris.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Felicity asked. "This is… I'm sorry." She offered a weak smile to Oliver.

The detonator sat in his hands untouched but with a determined frown, he activated the bombs. The blast knocked the van, but otherwise, it didn't exactly hit him what he just exactly did. He didn't need to think on it, but Felicity moved to his side and pressed herself tight against him. It wasn't sexual or even sensual; it was simply social contact.

They intertwined their fingers, and he rested his chin on her head. They rode together in silence, and not once did Felicity push him to open up. She didn't need to to see the pain on his face and in how he held his body. He had just begun to move past Moira's death and to now lose his father's building… she worried about him, so she refused to let him go. She kept him close to her on the entire card ride back to the new base. Every once and a while, she felt his thumb move gentle circles on her hand, but beyond that, he remained unmoving and stoic for the entire ride.

….

Halfway across town at the Verdant, unbeknownst to any of the team, Roy was tearing apart the club. He didn't understand why she wasn't here. Of course, he had checked the house first, but it had been practically empty. Something catastrophic had happened, and most of the staff had been non-existent. Those remaining had bolted when they had seen him, but he had felt little about it. Tearing the door off the mansion had been an accident, and Thea should have been there. Now at the club, he was finishing the upstairs and offices with no luck still.

There was one other place he could check, so he cleanly yanked the basement door off and trampled his way down the stairs. Whatever he had been expecting, the sight of the Arrow's hideout was not it. The sight of broken computers, display cases, and blood was enough to snap him from his haze for a moment. Fear for Thea suddenly clawed at him, and anger for her brother began to boil up from the depths of his soul.

Oliver Queen was the Arrow, and he had shot Roy! Harper clenched his fists and shook with a barely controlled rage. Thea's brother had shot him and probably put her in danger if the blood was anything to go by. Why else wouldn't she be here or at the mansion?!

Roy spun with the intention of now hunting down Oliver Queen when another though smacked him hard. What if Thea had always known this? What if she had lied to him, dragged him along, and followed him on his search for the vigilante because she had found his stupidity amusing? Roy Harper was not a joke to anyone, and if it was the last thing he did, the Queens- both of them- would understand that fact.

**Note:** *Hums* what's this? Another update? I'm working hard to keep these chapters coming, but again, don't expect another one until the weekend. Quite busy, sadly.  
Hope you guys are enjoying the ride… oh and Thea + archery is not something I made up. If you watch the series pilot, archery trophies can be seen in her room. I just "made up" some of it to fit the story better since I couldn't remember when she started and stopped her lessons (or if it was ever mentioned).

Well what's next… Malcolm vs. Roy most likely *fingers crossed*. Sometimes things don't go as expected, and other times things take exceptionally wild turns. :P


	58. Understanding

**Chapter 57**

Back at base, Oliver found the place in shambles. Doors that he had closed and locked were thrown wide open, crates of supplies were turned over, and one of the glass tables that supported Felicity's computer was cracked. Thankfully, in at least Felicity's opinion, the computer was untouched. No one was around, and no one was answering his comm.

Digg suggested that they stay calm as there couldn't have been a way for the hunters to track them here. It just wasn't possible, but Oliver wasn't sure if he was trying to convince them or himself in the end. The base wasn't overly large, so Oliver sent Digg to check one floor while he and Felicity looked on another. He hoped that Malcolm and Thea had simply needed a minute to cool down.

It wouldn't be that surprising given how cold they had been acting to each other before Oliver had taken the team to the applied sciences building. Malcolm was certainly strong enough to do the damage seen, and Oliver wouldn't be that shocked if Thea had drove the older archer to this. She did have a tendency for flair and driving people around her to pull out their hair.

"You're worried," Felicity whispered as they checked around another corner. Oliver's bow was raised because of that small possibility that the hunters had already found them. "And I don't mean just about this…"

Oliver moved around another corner and didn't say a word. He glanced back at Felicity to see her own concern etched into her face. He didn't want to talk at this moment, and of course, she did. He hoped that she would drop it if he couldn't to ignore her, but when she grasped his arm, he stopped and scowled.

"This isn't the time," he snapped. Immediately after, he felt terrible, lowered his bow, and turned to see the frown on her face. She quickly smiled and waved off his concern, but he knew he had screwed up. Reaching out, he brushed the side of her arm with his fingers. "I'm sorry." His face was open, one of the few times it happened, and she could read the pain written across his features.

Felicity captured his hand in hers and pulled him close. The two shared their warmth and strength. The only thing that caused them to break apart was the tell-tale sign of something crashing in the room at the end of the hall.

Raising his finger to his lips, Oliver shushed Felicity and told her to stay put. If it was the hunters, he wanted her as far from them as possible. Bow raised once more, he gently nudged the jarred door open to find Malcolm standing over a destroyed table. The ex-League member was so engrossed in his destruction that he hadn't noticed Oliver enter.

When the younger archer spoke, he kept his distance purposefully. He had known from his own experience that surprising anyone with training was asking for a death wish. "Malcolm," he growled, and the older archer spun. His face was a mix of anger and grief. While Oliver had been young when Rebecca died, he remembered that look on Tommy's father's face. It was the same two emotions that had occupied a large part of his life and still did.

The Dark Archer calmed and steeled his face at the sight of Oliver, but both of their gazes landed on the mutilated table. Composing himself, Malcolm approached the younger archer, the question unsaid: was it successful? And the answer didn't need to be vocalized either. It was an odd testament to how far the two archers had come in their unlikely alliance over a short expanse of time.

"So… the table attacked you?" Felicity asked, poking her head into the room. When she hadn't heard the telltale sounds of a fight, she had left the safety of the corridor. "Or any of the tables? Oh, thank you for not destroying my computer."

When Oliver looked back to Malcolm, the Dark Archer had put a wall back up. He didn't respond to Felicity's questions and practically ignored her arrival. For a few moments, the awkward silence hung in the air until in their ears, both Felicity and Oliver heard Digg confirm Thea's whereabouts. She had fallen asleep on a different floor; her asleep and Malcolm destroying part of the base, it explained why no one had responded to their earlier calls.

Recognizing that the elder Merlyn was not done with his necessary tantrum, the younger archer waved Felicity away to go and work on said computer. There was still a lot left to do, but it would probably have to wait for another night. No one was one hundred percent, and some sleep would do everyone good. However, a head start would be appreciated. The hunters wouldn't stay away for long, and by attacking Slade's facility for mirakuru, they had just kicked a beehive. There wasn't any room left to run. They had to go on the offensive now.

Which meant they all had to be at their best. When it was just the two of them again, Malcolm didn't entirely relax, but some of the tension in his frame faded away. "So," he said waving his hand at the table and the few weapons scattered across the room, "my sister cause this?" Oliver snorted and didn't entirely wait for Malcolm to respond. "I wouldn't blame you. She can be a bit of… a handful at times. Willful."

"She gets it from her mother," Malcolm said a breath later.

"She was a nuisance when we were kids," Oliver continued. "Always chasing after me… and Tommy. Our Father always had a way with her though…" He paused when he realized the implications of his words, and quickly altered what he had said. "My Father, I mean."

"He raised her," Malcolm muttered. Nurture meant more when it came to raising a child; Thea had been right. He was only blood to her, nothing more. He had always been around their family when she was younger, but as she had gotten older and after Oliver had been presumed dead, he had begun to avoid their family. The only times he had been at the Queen mansion during those years had been in secret, and he regretted how much he had missed in her life. With Robert gone, he could have stepped in and at the very least helped. "And I killed him."

It was the first time that Malcolm had really acknowledged Robert since that day the Glades fell. Oliver expected for some unresolved hatred to surge forward at the finally said confession, but the truth of it was that he felt nothing of the sort. He had five years on the island to harden himself and to get over what had happened to his Father. There was a reminiscent sting, but the anger he had felt for Malcolm was simply not there. Oliver would never forgive Malcolm for the hell on that island, but that was the end of it.

The death of Rebecca, the League, and the years following had twisted Malcolm into what he was now, and all Oliver saw as he stared at the older archer was the man with regrets. Oliver had lost much in his life, similar to Malcolm, and suddenly, it was like staring into a mirror. He couldn't imagine losing his entire family… When Slade killed his mother, he had wanted nothing more than to take Slade back to the island and firebomb it himself. For the first time since returning from the island, Oliver had finally realized and understood Malcolm. Grief was terrible, and if they both lost Thea, neither of them would come back whole.

And as Oliver stared at his once enemy, he came to the conclusion that Malcolm thought and fully believed he had already lost Thea.

Reaching down, Oliver picked up two of the metal pipes he used for training and kicked the others over to Malcolm. The elder archer eyed the pipe but otherwise didn't move. "How about I give you a target that will actually fight back?" Oliver asked. If they were going to talk, he had to get Malcolm to focus, and the easiest way for either of them to achieve that state was through something they both did well- sparring.

Oliver didn't give Malcolm any chance to respond as he closed the distance and purposefully struck high. Training forced the elder Merlyn down where he snatched two of the metal sticks. He blocked Oliver's next shot, and he quickly forced his way onto the offensive.

The clanging of metal were the only sounds between the two archers, and they were both immersed in the fight. Oliver easily blocked every shot, but he wanted to turn the tables. However, Malcolm was smart and kept any opening short and well defended.

The first few Oliver saw, he let go by. This wasn't about winning as much as getting them both on the same page. However, the next opening, he went fully for; it wouldn't be much good if they didn't challenge each other. With the tip of his pipe, Oliver was able to catch the back of one of Malcolm's hands. The hit wasn't hard, but over such a small surface area, the pain would be sharp and disorienting. Spinning around, Oliver landed another solid blow to Malcolm's back.

When Oliver moved in to continue the attack, Malcolm took a knee and blocked the shot before catching the younger archer in a hold and flipping him hard onto his back. The Dark Archer went for a kick before pulling it slightly to avoid injury, but with less force, Oliver was able to grab his leg and trip him as well. Both archers laid on their backs for a brief second before jumping up and continuing the fight.

They tried to keep their blows limited in strength to avoid doing any real damage. However when Oliver missed a block and was caught hard in the shoulder, he hissed. When Malcolm hesitated after the shot, Oliver ran up and hooked one leg around Malcolm's neck and threw him down hard. Oliver stepped back with a frown; he hadn't meant to be that vicious about it. It wouldn't do well to turn this into an actual fight, so he took a calming breath and centered himself.

"You alright?" Oliver asked offering the elder Merlyn his hand, but before he could retract it, Malcolm had grabbed him and threw him face first into the concrete. They both sat up, but otherwise didn't move farther than that. "She'll get over it," he stated, voicing what he had wanted to this entire time. However, he didn't think Malcolm would have listened earlier, but now the fight had forced Malcolm to consider Oliver and only him. "She's still just a kid, and if I know my sister, she'll come around."

Malcolm chuckled, but there wasn't any amusement in it. The laugh was dry and hollow. "And why would you say that?"

Standing, Oliver again offered Malcolm his hand. "Because I did." The elder archer took Oliver's hand.

With that, he helped the Dark Archer back to his feet, and they moved to rejoin their comrades. Thea was still asleep when they arrived looking a bit more roughed up then when they had left. Felicity, thankfully, didn't comment, but Oliver could tell it was trying on her. He shook his head and quietly joined her by her computer. On the screen were traffic cameras, and two of the hunters were visible. They weren't even trying to hide themselves.

"They're baiting you," Digg said, but it wasn't needed.

"Agreed," Malcolm said, calmer than he had been in a while. "They have no idea where this place is."

"What do you want to do?" Felicity asked.

Sighing deeply, Oliver glanced to his sister. She was curled up, dried tear tracks, and asleep. This had already been a long night, so with a shake of his head, he decided to hang up his bow for tonight. The hunters nor Slade were actively killing people, so they had time to catch up on necessary sleep. He hated to leave them out there, but the physical and emotional toll was dragging him into the mud. He'd be practically offering himself up if he went back out.

There was a lot of discussion about where they should go for the remainder of the night. The Queen mansion was too dangerous, and no one wanted to put the staff in that sort of trouble. Slade nor Talia would hesitate to mow through a few dozen people to get to them, so the house was out. It was beginning to look like they were going to crash here, all together, when Malcolm nonchalantly offered his old mansion. It was completely empty and devoid of life, and he had secure rooms. After he had returned from Nanda Parbet, he had built in a few secret rooms for reasons such as this.

They were just clearing up to head to the Merlyn mansion when Felicity received a phone call. Oliver couldn't help but be interested; it was the middle of the night still. He couldn't guess who would be calling this late? And he wasn't the only one curious as Digg was also drawn to the door she had left through. Thea woke up for a brief moment during this time, but she grumbled something incoherent only and was back out.

"Oliver," Felicity said excitedly as she ran back into the room. "The cure… it's done."

….

When Thea woke, the sun was shining through her window… except it wasn't her window, and this wasn't her bedroom. Sitting up abruptly, she surveyed her surroundings, and while the décor looked familiar, she couldn't place why. The earlier night's events flooded back to her, and Thea tried to calm her racing heart.

Her brother was, in fact, the vigilante… and he was working with Malcolm Merlyn- to protect her. She took large gulps of breath as she considered everything that had recently happened to her and her family. She didn't know how her brother did it, and she wasn't sure if she was worth her brother teaming up with that murderer.

Deciding she couldn't stay in this unknown a moment longer, she stood and wandered out into the hallway which she immediately recognized. It had been a few years, but she remembered the Merlyn mansion well enough.

With a growl, she found her way downstairs, and while it took a good ten minutes, she finally arrived in the kitchen where only Malcolm sat. He barely glanced up from the food he had set out for himself, but he wasn't eating it as much as pushing it around. Without saying a word, he pointed to the stove, which had a cooked and hot omelet still on it.

The power was back on, albeit it had taken a few good bribes to keep that information out of the wrong hands, but for now, the mansion was safe. At first, Thea hesitated to do anything but stand there; however when her stomach snarled, she realized there was no getting out of this. To leave would scream that she wanted nothing to do with the man in the room, and while that was true, she had to reserve and follow Viper's words. Since Oliver wasn't in sight, she had to stay.

Once she grabbed a dish and sat, she did everything in her power to ignore the man across from her, and the few times she did glance up, she saw that he was engrossed in the paper. The front page was all about the bombing from the previous night. The applied science building of Queen Consolidated was gone, and Isabel was on a damage control path currently. From the pieces Thea could see, Isabel was blaming terrorists, ones that wanted revenge for the markov device.

After taking a few large bites and not entirely chewing, Thea finally concluded there was only way to find Oliver. "Where is my brother?" she asked, her tone not entirely that pleasant.

Malcolm glanced over the paper, actually taken back that she addressed him at all. He folded the paper up and sighed as he knew she wasn't going to like the answer. "He's on his way to Central City."

After Felicity had been told about the cure's completion, it was quickly decided that they couldn't trust a delivery to Starling. Slade or Talia would easily discover this, and without the cure, they would stand little chance. Felicity, of course, had to go, and there was no way Oliver was going to let her go alone. So early this morning, the three of them had taken their leave to Central City via car, and it spoke of the trust Oliver was showing Malcolm that he had left his sister behind. They had talked about just taking her to the city as well, but Oliver wasn't expecting a clean trip. Someone would find out, and they would try to stop them. As such, Thea was safer, it a bit crankier, at the mansion.

"Why?" she growled. Considering everything, she was in better control of herself then Malcolm expected.

"He had to go pick something up," he answered vaguely. "He will return shortly, but until then, you are to remain in the mansion."

Malcolm should have thought that through better… Thea never responded well to being told to do anything, and he realized this just as she narrowed her gaze and pursed her lips.

**Note**: I'm a terrible liar. So I decided to have a small fight between Malcolm and Oliver instead of Roy and Malcolm. But I promise, promise it's still coming. Next chapter will be split between Central City and Starling.  
I just wanted to get this out to you guys because I've been a bit 'bleh' the last few days with little interest in writing. I think I blamed my muse for being uncertain on how to get to this 'point'. Anyway, I'm thinking this will be over at Chapter 65 (if my plan works out). Chapter after next we will see the return of Nyssa, Sara, and Ra's al Ghul.


	59. Reminders

**Chapter 58**

When Oliver found Felicity, he wasn't that surprised by where she had taken up residence. The beeping of the heart monitor was comforting since that was the only indication that Barry was, in fact, still alive. The doctors were flabbergasted, and if Oliver still had his fortunes, he would have tried to help. However since that wasn't the case, he was forced to stand by and watch the heartbreak on Felicity's face.

Deep inside, he felt a twinge. It wasn't jealousy as some would expect; instead, it was an acknowledgement of pain. She was hurting, so he was too. Quietly in the hopes of not disturbing her, he approached her chair from behind and squeezed her shoulder gently. She didn't jump, and her eyes didn't divert from Barry.

"We save so many people," she whispered. "But we can't save these, can we? The freak accidents."

"I can't control nature," he replied. More than anything, he wanted to apologize, but he wasn't sure what for. No one could truly expect him to have that kind of power. It didn't exist in this world, and while he had seen some… super human… feats, they were all still just human.

Her gulp was audible, and he couldn't tell what she was thinking. Usually by now, she would have made all her thoughts known, so her quiet demeanor was unsettling to Oliver. "I don't blame you. I don't blame anyone," she explained. "I just wish I could understand why."

"Everyone wants a reason," he agreed. "And sometimes we may just never know them." For an ex-playboy, it was a very profound statement. The island had changed his core, and while he hated those five years, they had helped to shape him into something. He had purpose and reason, things he wouldn't have had otherwise.

They remained there for a few minutes longer before Oliver had no choice but to say, "The car's outside. We need to get that cure." When he noticed she still hadn't moved, he continued, "If you want, we can leave you here while we go and get it."

Taking a deep breath, Felicity centered her emotions and calmed whatever she was feeling. "No, it's okay. Let's go."

He had just helped her to her feet when an explosion rocked the building. In that moment had they checked the heart rate monitor, they would have seen it speed up.

….

Thea tossed her plate unceremoniously into the sink, and she tried not to smirk as it shattered into three large pieces and four shards. Half of her wanted to grab one and go for Malcolm, but a larger part of her reminded her to relax and breath.

"Sorry," she said, no sincerity in her tone. The only response she received was Malcolm's unamused gaze, but he eventually went back to his paper.

"Just stay in the house," he called out after her as she left the room.

Thea couldn't help but think 'like hell'. She wasn't about to be trapped in the house with Malcolm, and while she knew she needed to be smarter about where she went, there were things she needed to do. The club was under threat by Isabel, so the younger Queen needed to get things in order quickly if she wanted to keep it. The hunters could potentially be watching the building, but she hoped that since it was the middle of the day, that they'd be less likely to attack.

Had she actually focused herself as Viper had told her, she would have probably stayed in the house, but for now, she wanted to do exactly the opposite of what her not-father said to do. Oliver would have to understand; he grew up with her. He should have known better.

Snatching her jacket from her "room", Thea quietly opened the window in said room and checked the distance to the ground. Eight feet below her window was a balcony that she could use to get to the ground level. She should have been afraid, but this was by far not the first time she had snuck out. She had perfected the art in her own house when she was sixteen and wanted to go out and get drunk without her Mother knowing.

Remembering to relax her knees, she allowed herself to fall from her window to the floor below. When she landed, she purposefully crouched to keep the force from splintering her kneecaps. There was a bit of jarring but no damage that she could feel. When she returned, there was no possibility that she'd be able to climb back in; however, she was only trying to sneak out. She would enjoy Malcolm's face once he realized that she had purposefully and successfully slipped him.

The club was empty save for a few janitors that were working to clean the floor from the previous night's party. When they saw Thea, they each gave her a small smile, and she didn't hesitate to dismiss them for now. The hunters wouldn't hesitate to hurt anyone else to get to her, so on that small chance they did show, she wanted to minimize risk to everyone else.

Entering her office, Thea sat and pulled out the financial report from the last few weeks. While Oliver and her assets were relatively safe, the income for the club had taken a large hit. People worried that a club that was in the Glades, owned by the Queens, could be a potential base for another markov device… She would have found it amusing how quick people would change their tone if they knew what really lied beneath her feet.

The police didn't like the vigilante, the one percent didn't like him either, but the people- the ones in the Glades, the ones that had seen the corruption first hand- they were rallied behind him. When people thought he had died during the earthquake, she had seen on corners people had written 'the city failed us'. It was a mantra, and it was her brother's voice that had started it.

For once, Thea couldn't have been happier to have been wrong. She had thought her brother was still acting like a colossal fuck-up, and to find out what he really did at night frightened her and made her see her brother as he was. The last thing Thea wanted was for him to die, and now with Slade and the hunters around every corner, she could not blame him for wanting help. Then of course, there was that blonde IT. Thea was glad her brother had someone that not only knew one of his secrets but accepted him completely as he was.

That made her think of Roy… unconscious and still in the hospital because of what was injected into him. She hoped that her brother had a way to fix this. Roy meant so much to her, and she didn't want to consider he would never be free of this. Swallowing a chuckle, Thea smiled as she thought on what Roy would think of her "useless" brother being the vigilante that he worshipped. She would need a camera for that day…

A door slamming open snapped Thea from her thoughts, and she quickly cut her office lights and sank down in her chair. There was a knife in her office, but it wasn't exactly a weapon. It was dull and mostly used when a long night required her to eat in the office. At least, it was something though.

Crawling to the door, Thea locked it and tried to calm her quickening breath. Outside, she could hear someone in heels wandering the club floor, and she didn't think that the hunters wore heels. A voice drifted through, and she pressed her ear to try and hear what they were saying…

"No," the voice sighed. "He's not here. The basement is empty. It looks like there was a fight." Thea recognized the voice as belonging to Isabel, and she tried not to growl under her breath. "There's blood, but no bodies." Whoever Isabel was talking to must have been on the other side of a phone. "I'll head to see Mr. Blood next. Has his usefulness finally ended? I'd like to be the one that kills him." There was a pause before she continued with, "Thank you."

Thea leaned more into the door trying to hear anything else only for the door to creak. She tried not to move again, but it was too late. Isabel was standing right there, her shoes visible under the door crack. Before Thea could move away, the glass above her head was smashed, and when she went to scramble away, Isabel grabbed the younger Queen by her hair and dragged her out the window above the door. Glass cut at her top and skin, and while the pain was blinding, Thea found it in herself to steady her stance and throw a hard right hook.

Isabel hadn't been expecting a fight, so the punch caught her right across the cheek. She was forced to let go and step away, her hand touching the small cut. Her face was twisted into a snarl, but Thea held her ground. Blood dripped down her arm, but it was sluggish and the adrenaline was taking a bite off the pain.

"Ms. Queen," Isabel greeted. "Any chance you have seen your brother?"

"Not that I'd tell you," she growled, fear taking a back seat with the pain. "This is still my club. Get out."

"Not for much longer," she laughed, and had she not just broken the office window, this would have seemed like just a normal business spat between rivals. Isabel seemingly pondered the appearance of the younger Queen before she pulled out a gun. "You're not who I was looking for, but I'm sure Slade will have some use for you. And I hear the hunters have been itching to get their hands on you again."

That forced a shudder down Thea's spine as she realized she was trapped. The last thing she wanted was to be handed back over to the hunters; the mere mention of their sent a bolt of terror into her spine. She wanted to be strong, but she didn't know how she could with that threat hanging in the air.

Thea half-expected a gun shot, so when someone screamed her name, she still jumped a few inches off the ground. Both her and Isabel spun to see Roy blazing his way into the club, anger written clearly on his features. Thea would have been absolutely thrilled to see him if he wasn't looking at her with bloodlust.

"Stay back," Isabel ordered, but in his current state, Roy was having no orders. He marched straight up to Isabel, taking three bullets in the chest for his trouble, and he easily grabbed her around the throat. She kicked and struggled, but this only spurred Roy to tighten his grip before he threw her a clear ten feet into the air and into one of the club mirrors. Isabel slammed hard into the floor, blood clearly imprinted on the shattered mirror, and she wasn't moving anytime soon.

When Roy spun on Thea, she held her hands up. She had to calm him down; it was her only hope. "Roy," she said, and while her voice shook, she had relative control her body. "Roy it's me. Thea."

"I know," he growled, stomping towards her.

"Roy please, you need to calm down," she begged. "You're scaring me."

The snarl twisted tighter into his features, and she realized he had no intention of stopping. He was here to kill her. She blamed the mirakuru, but when he smacked her hard and sent her careening into a table, she wasn't sure how she'd be able to look at him again if she survived this. Forgetting about her stance for the moment, she tried to back crawl from Roy, words and pleas still slipping from her lips. This was how she was going to die… because of the man she loved… When he closed in, she accepted that, closed her eyes, and whispered, "I love you…"

The lack of reaction had her eyes snapping open, but it wasn't her words that had stopped him, she quickly realized. Across the club, dressed in his League attire again, was Malcolm Merlyn. His bow was raised, but he hadn't released the arrow yet. She could feel his gaze on her, and she tried to not look as frightened as she was.

"Please," she yelled more to Malcolm than Roy. "He doesn't know what he's doing." She didn't want Malcolm murdering Roy, and she tried not to cry out as Roy rushed Malcolm. The archer placed three quick arrows into Roy, but it didn't dissuade the attack.

Roy slammed hard into Malcolm, who was thrown backwards by the force. Once the Dark Archer concluded that this was mirakuru, he quickly stabilized himself and dodged the next few attacks. The boy was untrained, too angry, and unfocused. All of this gave the archer an edge as he fought. The hits he did land, even with his bow, though, did little.

Malcolm kicked high and caught Roy in the chest, and when the boy stumbled, Malcolm came in again and jumped up and punched down hard on Roy's sternum. On most people that would have collapsed their form, but Roy's enhanced body stood strong. He snarled and grabbed Malcolm around the throat. The bow was thrown far away, but the ex-League member quickly got a hand between Roy's and his throat. Bringing up both feet, he kicked Roy away.

When Malcolm ran for his bow, he hadn't gotten more than three or four steps when Roy had tripped the older man. The Dark Archer rolled to miss the stomp, and as he tried to roll to go for his bow again, Roy dragged him back and caught him with a kick to the ribs. Talia's knife wound screamed in protest, and he breathed deep to focus past it. He watched as his quiver was ripped off and joined his bow.

Across the room, Thea watched, unmoving- at least until the quiver joined the bow. Her feet, unwillingly, brought her to the weapons, and before she was back to herself, she found the bow in hand and an arrow notched. Pulling the bow string back, she lined up a shot, but she wasn't sure who she was shooting entirely.

Malcolm noticed what Thea was doing, and he moved to try and give her a clear shot. However she continued to hesitate, even when he shouted for her to do it. That turned Roy's attention on Thea, and he didn't even finish the fight with Malcolm before he was zeroing in on Thea. Even still, she didn't shoot.

The only reason Roy didn't make it all the way was due to Malcolm running in, grabbing Roy along the midsection, and throwing him backwards. A hard kick to the face kept Roy down but angrier than before. Seeing his opening, Malcolm went to retrieve the bow from Thea, but she held tight to it.

"Give it," he growled, unrelenting.

"You're not going to kill him," Thea whispered, finally finding her voice again. The arrow was lax in her grip, but she wasn't about to give Malcolm the weapon he could use to kill Roy. "I won't let you."

Malcolm tried to hide the incredulous from his face, but he could tell she was firm on this. Instead of wasting any more time arguing, he rolled down to grab his quiver to pull out one of Viper's arrows that she had left behind. The tackle was hard, but Malcolm didn't struggle with it. He needed to be in close for this to work.

Roy pinned him with a snarl, and Malcolm reached for the arrow that had been sent from his grasp. Dots danced in front of his vision as Roy worked to crush the archer's trachea. Trying to get a gulp of air, Malcolm caught Roy hard in the solar plexus with a well-aimed elbow. When that sent the younger man gasping, Malcolm followed it up with an uppercut.

Roy rolled off, and the next thing he knew an arrow was deep in his chest. Malcolm took a deep breath as the pit viper venom worked its way through Roy's system. It wasn't a permanent fix, but it would keep the boy under long enough to kill him.

"I told you not to leave the house," Malcolm snapped getting to his feet. Thea's grip on the bow was just loose enough for him to finally get it out of her hands with little struggle. She pushed past him to settle near the boy on the floor. "You could have been killed."

"You killed him!" she cried.

"He's unconscious," Malcolm sighed. "For now. You should head outside, so I can clean this mess up."

He notched another arrow; he figured twenty or so arrows to different vital organs would be enough to kill Roy, even with the mirakuru. However when he went to line up a shot, Thea stayed in his way. She glared at him.

"You're not killing him," she growled. "If you want to do that, you'll have to kill me first."

"Thea," he said exasperated.

"No." Any headway they had made up until this point vanished as if it never existed. Based on her look, Malcolm could tell he'd be lucky if she ever spoke to him again, and if he did kill the boy, she would do everything in her power to ruin him. Lowering the bow, he sighed and checked the room… It was then he noticed Isabel was now missing, but a nice blood streak indicated her direction.

He could have gone after her, but he wasn't about to leave Thea alone again, especially with this Roy. "Come on," he sighed, and when she went to argue, he held up his hand. "We will take him back to the house where I can keep him sedated until Oliver returns."

….

Oliver, following the bomb, had quickly helped Felicity to safety along with any patients that had to be moved. There had been multiple attacks across the city; some sort of distraction for a robbery apparently. At first, he had planned to mind his own business, but when the robbers had taken hostages, he couldn't sit back any longer.

Thankfully, Digg had thought ahead and had brought Oliver's other suit. While it was broad daylight, he still dressed as the Hood and arrived at the bank out of sight of the police. Inside, there were four assailants. Without a decent computer, Felicity was stuck on the sidelines along with Digg, but she had been able to hack into the police channel to learn a few details.

His breath caught on the words 'card masks, one of which had an ace of spades on it'. He remembered the royal flush gang, but the father, the king was dead. He hadn't thought they would go back to it; the son had probably escaped prison during the earthquake.

A zip line in place, Oliver crashed the robbers' party to find Ace was the only one from the previous gang. All the others were new and were easily frightened by the sight of the Starling City vigilante. Ace was the only one who dared to remain and spray bullets everywhere successfully scaring the hostages.

Oliver rolled under the bullets and came up near where some of the hostages sat. He used one of his smaller arrows to free them, but he indicated for them to stay. The last thing he needed was for them to run into a hail of bullets.

Notching an arrow, Oliver centered himself before he stood to face the gunman. Before Ace could completely reload, Oliver had easily shot the gun from his hand. The hostages stood and ran for the doors of the bank. One stayed for a brief second to express her thanks, but Oliver was already confronting Ace.

The young robber was untrained and inadequately prepared for the arrival of the vigilante. This was why they were in Central City… this city was safe compared to Starling, Star City, Bludhaven, and Gotham… no costumed freaks here or so Ace had thought.

Ace attacked fast. He blamed the Hood for his father's death, and at the very least, Ace wanted to take the freak with him. However, Oliver easily dodged each attack and allowed the boy to exhaust himself. He had recognized the rage and had decided it was simpler to just let it run its course. When the robber began to slow and the others returned though, Oliver made quick work of each.

After he had successfully disarmed each of the robbers, he had sent two into the clerk's counter with a side kick. The other two he used his trick arrows to restrain, and he suddenly really liked his bolo arrows. The bank was a mess, but no one had died and nothing was stolen. So there was that.

Unlike Starling City cops, the ones that rushed in to help didn't open fire immediately on the vigilante. A few actually gave the Hood a respectful nod as Oliver took off down a corridor and disappeared into an alley.

A few hours later when Felicity, Digg, and Oliver sat in the car again- cure in hand-, Felicity was on a roll for a lecture. She was less than thrilled about how close Oliver had come to getting shot… again. In her words, she did not want to play the game Operation again. Digg agreed that they were lucky the police hadn't just mowed Oliver down, but he joked that perhaps they should all move to Central City as they seemed like they might be more accepting of a costumed hero.

"Maybe in retirement," Oliver joked as he relaxed in the backseat. It had felt good to stop the robbery. With everything that had been going on with the hunters and Slade, it was relaxing to stop a more petty crime. The world wasn't on his shoulders there, and he was glad he could step in to help.

Felicity had apparently finished her lecture as she took his hand in hers and rested her head on his shoulder. She had seen how his body had melted into the car seat, and she could see that stopping the robbery was something he needed to do… not because he was a hero but because he needed it for himself. The last few weeks he had been so focused on Slade and the hunters- people that targeted him and his family specifically. Helping the everyday person meant a lot to Oliver now, so Felicity had decided to just end her sentence halfway through. She would have been annoyed that he obviously wasn't listening; however instead, she was glad to see Oliver less stressed.

Getting the cure gave each of them hope that they could end this. Without the mirakuru, Felicity was certain Oliver could beat Slade, and then, they could focus on ridding Starling of the hunters. Oliver wasn't done fighting yet, and being here in Central, helping to save an everyday person, reminded him exactly what he was fighting for.

After everything, picking up the cure had been the most boring event of the day, but they had it now. They now just needed a way to test it…

"Malcolm's been calling," Digg informed Oliver throwing the vigilante his phone. It had been going off for the better part of the morning and afternoon, but they had been a bit pre-occupied.

"Why?" Oliver asked, slightly worried something might have happened to his sister.

Digg shrugged, and with a sigh, Oliver dialed, unsure of what to expect.

**Note:** Yeah I couldn't help but have a little fun in Central City. It might have seemed short, but that's because I wanted to focus on Thea for most of the chapter. Plus the Royal Flush Gang (lead by Ace here) wouldn't be that equipped to handle a vigilante that they weren't expecting. Hence an easy confrontation.

Next chapter will be mostly (if not entirely) focused on the League. We'll catch up with Nyssa, Sara, Ra's al Ghul, and Viper. Oooo who thinks Ra's is going to easily help the girl? :P

The end of the chapter will probably include Slade and Talia as we are literally walking into the finale of this story.  
Going to wrap up a lot of things while setting up the sequel.


	60. Traitors

**Note:**This is my second update today, so please go back and double check if you've read the previous chapter

**Chapter 59**

Every inch of Viper's back was sore and most likely colored a variety of shades of purple, blacks, and greens. Considering her crime, she had been lucky to have not been killed on sight by the League assassins that had greeted Sara and herself at the gate. She probably could have avoided a majority of the kicking had she simply not struggled, but when the League members had gone after Sara with a similar intention, Viper couldn't help but put herself in their way. It was their right to see Ra's before punishment was dealt, and they had planned on just ignoring that.

In the end, they had ignored it only with Viper while Sara had only been forced to her knees. The ex-hunter knew the League assassins that picked them up would simply tell Ra's that she struggled, and she could have easily. There had been ten of them, and while she probably couldn't have taken them all at once, she could have easily taken a few down before they had subdued her. However, she had refrained and allowed them to get a few kicks in. It wasn't every day a hunter supposedly turned, and much of the League would have probably died for a similar chance at her.

Thankfully though, the rest of the League wouldn't. In the pit, she was relatively safe; the cells located there were only guarded by a few of the most trusted members of the League. They wouldn't dare to break the code and touch her before Ra's had a chance to decapitate her. Viper wasn't a fool; she had returned to die. However unlike a certain Merlyn, she was glad to return and receive her punishment from Ra's.

Her thoughts unwilling trailed to Thea Mer… Queen. That girl would never be free of her father's crime; it was an impossibility. Ra's would not let her escape, even if they did stop Talia. It was a loss since the girl would make an excellent member. Her pedigree and prior training made her ideal, but the only way for the girl to join would be for her to abide by blood for blood. Something Viper was uncertain about since the girl did not look to have a bone in her body capable of murder and torture. The ex-hunter was relatively sure that if Thea saw blood, she'd faint. Not that any of this mattered, no other hunter would even give Thea a second thought when they slit her throat, and Viper was in no position to change it. Had she not been exiled, she would have had more time to perhaps sway the girl… but alas, her death was on the horizon.

Hopefully first though, she'd have the chance to plead her case and the truth. Sara would be of help, but only if Ra's was in a mood to listen. The leader might be more willing to hear out Sara since she had not touched Talia. Viper did, and the hunter shuddered to think how he was going to respond. The last person that laid a hand on Nyssa had his sawed off with a dull blade. Talia had done the cutting gleefully, and Viper had ended the man days later for his crime against the al Ghul family.

Sara sat in her own cell, surrounded by her thoughts and the darkness. They hadn't been here very long, but word has spread quickly about their arrival. She didn't expect Nyssa the first night, so she wasn't shocked when she went alone. However by the time two days had passed, she had begun to worry if the younger al Ghul was even going to come. Sara remembered how their last conversation ended, and she couldn't recall something that would have pushed Nyssa away. She considered that perhaps arriving with a disgraced hunter hadn't been the best of moves, but she didn't think Nyssa would care. Ra's might, but his daughter had a mind of her own.

The younger Lance had begun to lose hope when finally someone shoved their way into her cell. Light poured in from the large wooden and iron door, and Nyssa stepped in. She was dressed as she should- League attire-, but her presence wasn't authoritative. Her look told Sara everything she needed to know, and after a moment of locking eyes, they had their arms around each other and lips pressed tight.

"I'm sorry," Nyssa said a breath later. "Things have been… chaotic since you're return."

"Viper," she summarized.

"And Talia," Nyssa added. "Ra's has been ordering every League member into his chamber to swear their allegiance once more. Refusal has meant death. And those that attacked Alec at our border were executed last night."

"What's..?" she began, but Nyssa shushed.

"I do not have much time," she explained. "You and Alec are about to be brought before my father. Swear your allegiance again, and you will be fine."

"Alec," and again Nyssa interrupted,

"There is nothing I can do for her." Nyssa brushed some of Sara's hair behind her ear and smiled softly. "But you and me can be together again. I'm glad you came back."

"I didn't just come back for you," Sara admitted, and she watched the hurt pass over Nyssa's gaze. "You have to know this. Talia is going to level my city, my home… with Slade's help. I need you to convince your father to send help."

"I do not know," Nyssa began before she noticed how crushed Sara looked. Whatever Talia had now done had helped to break those remaining bonds Sara had to Starling. There was no other way that she could have returned. With a sigh, Nyssa nodded; for Sara's sake, she would do everything she could to try and get her father to listen. There wasn't much she could do, in truth, but she'd try. Talia's actions did reflect on the League, but with Alec in exile, they had no remaining hunters to send. Those in training were much too young and would be slaughtered. "Alright."

The two shared a tender moment, and while Nyssa knew she had to leave the cell soon, she didn't want to let go just yet. There was always a possibility that her father would still strike Sara down, released or not, and the younger al Ghul didn't want to dwell on that possibility.

"Nyssa," an assassin said from the hallway. "I am here to escort Ms. Lance to your father. And you are to escort the traitor."

"Do not upset him," Nyssa whispered as a remnant warning. They shared a brief kiss, but the grip on Sara's arms told her everything she needed to know about Nyssa's feelings in that moment.

Sara released Nyssa just as the masked assassin entered the cell, and they separated. Unlike Viper, Sara wasn't restrained in any manner; she had free range of her body. Alec, on the other hand, had her hands roped behind her back with Nyssa in front and two assassins yanking her along. If they hadn't set a brutal pace, it was obvious that Viper would have been able to keep her feet under herself. The only reasons she probably wasn't being completely dragged was due to Nyssa preventing it.

They entered the main room small room, blood from past executions stained the floor, and near the back of the room, Ra's al Ghul stood. This wasn't his throne room, but it was where he chose to punish traitors. As they came to rest near him, Viper was thrown to her knees and forced to stay there; Sara, on the other hand, was allowed to stand. However in respect, she still decided to take a knee.

Viper felt nails in her shoulders as the two assassins that escorted her here refused to let go. She would have glared them down, but she wasn't about to cause issues in front of Ra's al Ghul. She was in enough trouble.

Ra's stood near the back of the room, staring at the names inscribed in the stone. Very few had been close enough to see that names were in fact here, but it was one of the reasons he found the room comforting. They weren't names of heroes or memorable League members; instead, they were the names of traitors. Ra's reached up and traced the name Jaoi Murphy.

"Leave us," he ordered as he turned to face one prisoner and his daughter's lover.

"Sir?" one of the assassins asked in confusion.

"You two, out or I'll have your heads," he snapped, and they quickly scattered with the realization he was reaching for his sword. No one dared to question Ra's al Ghul; he demanded respect. Soon it was only Nyssa, Sara, and Alec in the room. He stared down at the three, but his gaze was zeroed in on Alec, who almost seemed to shrink in her spot.

"Master," she began when he raised his hand and effectively silenced her. Viper steeled herself for her death and lowered her head. The blood smear beneath her knees was fresh, and while dried, she could imagine the last person sitting as she was. Unlike them though, she would at least take her death honorably.

"Nyssa, cut Alec free," Ra's barked. A fog of confusion settled in on the room; Nyssa hesitated in her duties until Ra's repeated himself. She immediately, then, went to work and freed Alec. "Whatever punishment Talia has set on you, I rescind it. Your exile has been lifted."

The hunter looked like a fish out of water as her mouth sat agape. She finally found her voice, "Not that I'm not appreciative, but I went after your daughter, master?"

"I know well enough about that woman to know whatever you were about to say would be the truth," Ra's said, his arms clasped behind his back. "You would not turn your back on the League." He motioned for the hunter to stand, and due to her bruises, she struggled back to her feet. Her head remained lowered in respect as she tried to wrap her mind around what just occurred. It wasn't possible; even Nyssa was flabbergasted, but suddenly the previous executions made more sense. "I would have called for you sooner, but I needed to weed those that weren't loyal to me out. They would have killed you to prevent this meeting from occurring." It was part of the reason why when Talia had called, he had told her exactly what she wanted to hear. If she thought Ra's had sided with her, he knew it would give the hunter ample time to return to explain herself.

"Thank you," Viper finally murmured, uncertain of what to say now.

"As for you Ms. Lance," Ra's said rounding on the other woman. "I would like to know what you are doing here." His tone indicated that he was not thrilled with this development. If anything, he sounded more upset about Sara's presence then Viper's. On his belt, his sword sat, and his hand was white-knuckled around it. He had an aura of control, but the air was thick. It was hard not to shrink in his presence, under his gaze. Even a shiver ran up Viper's spine; she was apparently safe, but she felt an inkling of pity for the younger Lance.

"Your daughter," Sara said slowly trying to find the appropriate words, "is working with Slade Wilson, a…"

"I know who he is," Ra's growled. "I asked why you are here."

"We can't beat them both," Sara explained. "I returned to ask for your help and for your daughter." There was no point in lying. It was better to tell the entire truth since it was less likely to set Ra's off.

While Ra's considered Sara's simple speech, Viper chose to speak up, "Master, Talia is our problem. She has broken the code. We should…" Before she could finish though, he had spun on her, and she immediately returned to her knee. Very few things terrified Viper- Ra's was on that list.

"You and Nyssa are not to return to Starling City," he barked. "This is not our problem. Ms. Lance unless you are here to swear fealty again, I suggest you take your immediate leave. I have no use for a deserter."

"I do want to take my vows again," Sara said. "But I cannot in good mind leave my city under siege."

"As a League member, you pick a new name to cut all your ties to your prior life," Ra's lectured. "You cannot have it both ways." He came to stand a few feet in front of Sara. "Either take your leave, back to your city, or take your vow and return to my daughter." He did not appreciate the relationship, but it made his daughter happy.

Never before had Viper considered speaking back to Ra's al Ghul, but the hunter's code had practically been beaten into her as a child. She couldn't ignore what Talia had done and would do given the chance. "Talia's broken our code. The League and the hunter's."

"I sent you to deal with Malcolm Merlyn, something you couldn't accomplish," he said, almost standing on top of Alec. "And you could not. How would you handle Talia?"

"Do not send me alone," Alec pleaded, shooting a look to Nyssa for help.

Nyssa sighed and stepped forward, "We set Malcolm Merlyn upon Starling City. We cannot do the same with Talia." She matched her father's stance and gaze. "Allow me to take twenty of our best archers to Starling and end this, Father." Against Talia, archers would be the best; she was skilled in almost every weapon… however when they were children, Ra's had decided to have Alec and herself focus in archery and Talia in swords.

"I cannot allow it," Ra's said, but he considered his youngest. She looked unwilling to budge, and he had half a mind to execute the young blonde in front of himself for putting such thoughts into his youngest. "She has taken twenty of our men as well, loyal to her alone. You would not just contend with her." During the League reaffirming their loyalty, a head count had been conducted, and that was when Ra's al Ghul realized to what extent Talia had slipped under his gaze.

"Let me do my job," Viper pleaded, and finally, Ra's turned on the hunter again. However there wasn't any anger in his gaze. "You have trained me for this reason. To go after those that break our codes. Maybe I'll die, but at least, it will be because I followed the code."

"Nyssa, Ta-er al-Sahfer leave us," he ordered, and as Sara stood to leave, he added to the Canary, "And I expect your vow when you return." To this, she nodded and followed Nyssa from the room. "Stand Alec, you and I have much to discuss immediately."

Sara and Nyssa waited in silence outside the complex. They didn't talk, but they did stand near each other, lending the other their strength. In front of the other League members, they were more conservative about their affections, but that wasn't due to embarrassment as much as it was an act that they wanted to reserve for just each other. Occasionally, they would share a glance, but unless an assassin approached, they stayed where they had emerged from the temple.

A few assassins had tried to speak with either of them, and there wasn't any accusation in their voice. It was more about curiosity; many of them had forgotten about the outside world beyond their killing. It wasn't a wonder in how Talia had found so many in their ranks willing to betray Ra's if she knew what to offer them.

After a bit though, they had begun to worry that Ra's had changed his mind and had Alec in chains until she emerged, face blank. Nyssa stood near the hunter, and she wasn't entirely responsive. Her mind was far away as she tried to sort through everything.

"Viper," Sara pushed, and the hunter finally snapped up at her name.

"What happened?" Nyssa asked, curiously.

"Nothing," Viper said with a shake of her head. "Nothing… You have your contingency, Nyssa, as long as she," she said indicating Sara, "retakes her vow." Ra's had made it clear that Sara had to stay; he did not want his daughter to go through heartbreak again. It was underhanded to force it, but since Sara had wanted to anyway, it wasn't that terrible. He could have requested worse for his help.

Sara paused and tried to swallow her joy; they had forces to fight back against Slade finally. "And what of Talia?" As a daughter of an al Ghul, she expected that Talia would be shown mercy for her acts, so when Viper said,

"I'm to execute her immediately for her crimes. She is not even allowed to ask for Ra's al Ghul in my stead." Everyone came to a standstill and tried to wrap their minds around what exactly just happened because it had all happened quickly and some of it was still unsettling.

….

Slade gently ran his hand across Isabel's hair; the woman was still unconscious but thankfully alive. Blood tracks ran from her eyes, but she was otherwise unharmed. The mirror had done substantial damage; however with a bit of Slade's blood, there wasn't a mark on her now.

"Your assassins are ready," Slade grumbled. All around the room stood his fifty and Talia's additional twenty. All of them looked ready for a fight, and some were even grinning gleefully. Masks were sitting in a corner that the prisoners would wear; the League members were going to keep their own gear.

"Are we ready?" Talia asked, cocking her head to the side. She didn't understand the affection Slade showed the woman on the table.

Slade thought on everything that needed to be done yet: Blood had to be taken of still, city power had to be cut, tunnels blocked, ARGUS… everything could be accomplished with a well-coordinated strike. The city was so close to burning, and there wasn't a lot left in his way, save for perhaps Talia. However her assassins would not head his warning, so for a bit longer, they had to play nice.

There was just one last thing he needed to take to crush Oliver Queen completely. On his computer sat an image of Felicity Smoak. Talia had wanted to kill the tech herself, but Slade had convinced her to take Thea instead. He had reminded the hunter that half of the trouble that they had run into stemmed not from Ms. Smoak but from Mr. Merlyn. And he had escaped her on top of everything… she hadn't needed any more reasons past that. Pride was Talia's sin.

The promise he had made to Oliver was so close to fruition.

**Note:** I really wanted to write this… so yep everyone gets an extra update- hooray! Hope you enjoyed it; I know I liked writing it.  
Anyway, the next chapters will be all about the season finale. No it won't start action packed, but the next chapter on is the arc for the season finale nonetheless. Congrats we made it here!

Also before any of you go why didn't I switch it to Talia kidnapping Felicity- that's one part of the season finale that I found to be uber important. It helped to begin or in my story perhaps solidify the relationship between Felicity and Oliver. Plus an Ollie vs. Slade fight has to happen.

Here everything happens for a reason *cough*

Lots of hints have been dropped about Valkyrie, the sequel. For those that have an idea of what's to come- thumbs up… but I'm not going to reveal too much right now just that I've left some hints throughout.


	61. Streets of Fire

**Chapter 60**

Oliver rushed into the mansion upon arrival and immediately sought out his sister. When he had heard from Malcolm, he hadn't hesitated in telling Diggle to pick up the pace; they needed to be back immediately. Roy was dangerous enough alone but to think Isabel had almost got her hands on Thea.

Running into Thea's makeshift room, he almost sighed with relief at the sight of his sister sitting on the floor next to the bed. He murmured her name before he had crossed the room, but she barely looked up. He had to kneel next to her to get any sort of reaction from her. In her hand was a picture frame, and from the angle, Oliver could see it was a Christmas picture of both the Queen and Merlyn families when everyone was alive save for Rebecca. Moira, Robert, Oliver, Thea, and Tommy were smiling and Malcolm had no expression at all.

"You shouldn't have left the house," Oliver said, not to scold but in fear that he had almost lost her when he wasn't here. If Malcolm hadn't interceded, she'd be in hunter hands right now. "Roy is not… himself." The name of her boyfriend seemed to finally snap Thea from her trance, and when she saw her brother next to her, she surged forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Her arms tightened around his neck, and she refused to let go. "Can you make him better?" she asked finding her voice for the first time in over a day and a half. When Malcolm had dragged her back to the mansion, she had forcibly shut herself back into her room. She would have gone to Roy, but Malcolm had refused, stating the dangers if he woke up and she was there.

Before Central City, Oliver would have had an easy answer for Thea- there would have been only one way to end Roy's brush with mirakuru, and that'd be death. Now though, armed with the cure, there was a possibility of changing this. However, no one knew what the side effects of the cure were or if it'd even work… but at least now, they technically had someone they could try it on. "Come downstairs," Oliver stated. He didn't want to get her hopes up.

He had partially expected a bit more of a fight to getting Thea to agree, but once the words left his mouth, she was already working her way to standing. Downstairs, Digg, Felicity and Malcolm were waiting to try and decide how to handle the cure and get close enough to Slade to use it. The mercenary wasn't lacking in intelligence; the moment he realized what they had, he'd avoid them like the plague. That meant they had to catch him with it or lose their advantage of surprise.

"You couldn't just stay in the house?" Oliver teased as they made their way to the staircase.

"Well Ollie, you know me and being told not do something," she sighed with a smile.

"Not everything has to be opposite Speedy," he groaned. The two siblings shared a smirk before entering the dining hall once more where everyone, save for Roy, was waiting. They had obviously walked in on something since Digg and Felicity were glaring at Malcolm. The elder Merlyn's face gave nothing away, and whatever they had been discussing prior to Thea and Oliver's arrival looked to be over. With a barely kept growl, Oliver asked, "What did I miss?"

"Malcolm has a death wish," Felicity muttered in response. Her arms were crossed in front of herself, and she looked less than pleased.

At Oliver's confusion, Digg elaborated, "He wants to go after Talia himself, and try to divert her attention."

"Hence death wish," Felicity added.

Oliver glared at Malcolm but didn't respond directly to what Felicity and Digg had said. Thea, on the other hand, looked half-tempted to drag Malcolm to Talia herself. She really hadn't appreciated what her not-father had done to Roy, so she didn't exactly see it as a loss if he bought her brother some time.

"How's Roy?" Oliver asked diverting the conversation. He decided to talk to Malcolm later. It wasn't that he wouldn't appreciate Talia backing off, but at the moment, they needed every bow they could get against Slade. As long as Slade had the mirakuru in his system, Oliver did not think he could win.

"Unconscious," Malcolm answered. "But the sedatives won't work for much longer. His body is compensating." An uneasy silence filled the room; both Diggle and Felicity knew what they needed to do but none of them wanted to risk Roy. "We need to decide what we're going to do with him."

"You're not going to kill him!" Thea growled, her imagination driving daggers into Malcolm clearly.

"We didn't say that," Digg said trying to calm the younger Queen. "But we can't let him wake up as he is."

"Ollie," Thea murmured. She needed her brother on her side.

Oliver shot Felicity a look, and she smiled reassuringly in turn. It told him that whatever he chose, she would stand behind him; Thea might not but his team would. With a sigh, Oliver moved around his team to where the briefcase was sitting. They really only had one choice. Roy could not wake up as he was, so the cure was their only option. At least by using it on Roy they might have an idea if it works.

"Are you sure?" Digg asked as Oliver opened the case to remove one syringe full of the cure. "We don't know what it will do."

"And it's why we need to know," the younger archer frowned. "If we have any chance at stopping Slade, we need to know if this is going to work." He stared out at his team, and while they didn't look thrilled about using Roy as a guinea pig, they appeared to be ready to stand behind him, including Malcolm. The only one that didn't seem to be thrilled with their current conversation was Thea, and that was due in part to her not understanding the implications either. She didn't have a clue about the cure or what it could due. It was just as likely to kill him as save him.

"What is that?" Thea asked, indicating the cure in Oliver's hand.

"Maybe I should inject it," Malcolm suggested. "That way is something goes wrong…" he trailed off. If he accidently killed Roy, it wasn't like Thea could hate him more, but she could blame Oliver if he was the one to do the deed.

"No," Oliver growled. "I'll do it." With that, he turned to Thea and frowned.

"Is that going to kill him?" she asked, somehow not in hysterics.

Oliver shrugged, "It could. We don't know." He went to reach out and touch his sister, but she pulled away. "Thea, this could also undo it."

"But it still could kill him," she pointed out, and he nodded truthfully. "Then I want to do it."

"Thea," both Oliver and Malcolm said.

"No," she growled. "Stop protecting me. He's my boyfriend. I want to do it." She wasn't going to lay this at Oliver's feet; she wouldn't have him blaming himself if it went wrong. Roy deserved anyway for her to do it, so she held out her hand for the syringe. She was unwavering in her conviction, and she waited patiently for Oliver to simply give in. "I can do this Ollie."

"And if he dies," Oliver whispered closing the distance. "I don't want that on your conscious." Killing someone changed everything, and he did not want his sister to go through that. However, she seemed unwilling to back down as she stood strong. Handing the syringe over, Oliver was finally able to touch Thea and squeeze her shoulder. "Do you want me to…"

"Stay here," she asked. "I need to do this alone." Unlike Oliver, she knew where Roy was in the house, so silently, she turned and left the room. They would know soon enough if the cure worked. All they needed was for it to either incapacitate those inflicted with mirakuru or kill them. Oliver would obviously prefer not to have to kill anyone, but they were out of options. He didn't have the luxury of being picky anymore.

They still had a lot to do though, so Oliver turned to address everyone just as the lights went out. There was a moment where they thought that the hunters had found them, but Felicity quickly discovered that the entire power grid to Starling City had been knocked down. This didn't look to be a coincidence, so Oliver assumed Slade had finally decided to make his move.

"Malcolm," Oliver called drawing the elder archer towards him in the corner of the room. The two archers stood apart but out of ear shot of everyone else. "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything Oliver," Malcolm responded with ease. A few weeks ago, a conversation such as this would have never passed their lips, and this did not go unnoticed by either archer.

"My sister," he whispered. "If Slade kills me," Malcolm looked to interrupt, but Oliver continued nonetheless. "I need you to get her out of the city immediately. Take her and run as you had originally planned to do."

"Slade isn't going to kill you," Malcolm said with a smirk. He reached out and grasped Oliver's arm tightly. When he saw that Oliver was not going to back down, he nodded and said, "If that's what you wish. I'll keep her safe, but she won't go easily with me."

"You're manipulative. You'll figure out something to say to convince her," he explained before pulling away. "Felicity, I need you to call Detective Lance and warn him of what's to come. Diggle, we should get ahold of ARGUS as well."

"They won't help," Digg said with a shake of his head. "They believe in containment. We're on our own here." Four against an army- great odds- but no one said that directly.

"It's too bad you don't know any more archers that could help," Felicity joked, but the worry was obvious in the overtones.

That brought an idea to Oliver's mind though, and he chuckled, "I actually do." Digg began shaking his head and immediately disagreeing, but one look around the room told them all that they needed whatever help they could get. "You two stay with Thea. Malcolm and I will go."

"Downstairs behind a coded door, you should find everything you need to track Slade and his army's movements," Malcolm explained. "426873."

They quickly changed into their respective leathers, and while Malcolm finished first, he quietly stepped away to give Felicity and Oliver a moment. She looked at him hard and tried to not show her fear. "You will come back," she ordered, and he couldn't help but smile. Pulling her into him, he held her tight. "You will beat Slade. I don't doubt it."

"And what if I have to kill him," Oliver whispered. He didn't want to, but there was always a chance he'd be forced to. He tilted her head up, never once letting her go. She didn't respond immediately; instead, she kissed him, and they stayed close. If anyone else was in the room, neither of them noticed. "I don't… He's smarter than me and five steps ahead," he whispered pulling away.

"Then let him continue to think he's ahead of you," she said. "Let him outsmart himself."

Oliver ran his fingers across Felicity's jawline, and he tried to suppress the images of Slade getting his hands on Felicity. There was no way his former mentor didn't know of this; Slade would come for Felicity. He'd find a way to force her out. "I need you to do something for me." He didn't let her respond before continuing, "Whatever happens, whatever you see… I need you to stay here and be safe."

"Oliver," Felicity argued. "You can't ask me to stay out of the fight. Not when everyone else is endangering themselves."

"Slade promised he'd take everything away from, everything I love." He ran his fingers through her hair.

"Oliver," she whispered.

"That includes you," he interrupted before kissing her again. "Please stay. I can't lose you too." Not after everything; one more person lost… and he would practically hand himself over to Slade. He needed her safe and alive.

"Oliver, we need to move," Malcolm said from the doorway. He had probably been standing there for a few minutes waiting, but he had decided to give them their moment. "It won't be long before Slade's army overruns the streets, and I don't know entirely where we are going."

"Promise me you'll stay," he said one more time, and finally, Felicity budged and nodded. Kissing her forehead, he turned without another word and joined the Dark Archer. "We're going to Iron Heights."

Malcolm had no idea who was at Iron Heights that would help them, but if there was a possibility to have one more person that could fight, it was worth the danger of walking into a crowded prison. Both hoped that the back-up generator had kicked on though because free roaming prisoners would be difficult to handle.

The city was still quiet as they made their way to the prison. Power was out, but most people were outside looking around in confusion. There weren't any riots or fires yet. When Slade's army hit the streets though, all of that would change in a heartbeat. Oliver wasn't sure how long they had until that happened, so he wanted to make this quick. Since he had slipped into the prison once, he wasn't expecting much difficulty there, but it had been easier to get in then out last time.

The first guard on the perimeter hadn't known how to respond to the two archers, but he wasn't given much of a chance before he was unconscious either. In their ears, Felicity walked them through what she could see; emergency power had been restored in the prison, but most cameras were still down. Extra patrolmen were out, but neither archer had much difficulty in avoiding them.

Inside of the prison though, the archers were forced to subdue more and more guards. The alarm hadn't been sounded yet, but it wouldn't be much longer when guards on rounds didn't return their calls. The prison was already tense with the lack of power, but thankfully, all the prisoners were stuck in their cells for the time being.

When Oliver hit the main floor, a pin could have been heard in the room. Prisoners stood, mouth agape as they crowded their bars to watch the hooded vigilante followed by the Dark Archer. Shock eventually wore off, and soon shouts, taunts, and threats were being screamed at the vigilante. In the short two year span, the Hood had existed he had made a lot of enemies, especially out of the common criminals. In some of the cells, he could see some people he had actually put in here himself.

"We should leave before they find their way out," Malcolm insisted quietly as he took in the deathly stares Oliver was receiving. Prisoners with such a strong motive would find a way out, and they already had enough people to fight.

"Agreed, but first," Oliver stated as he made his way into the isolation wing where the female ward was also located. Thankfully, he had kept up with her after her arrest, so he knew exactly where she would be resting. Behind him, Malcolm notched an arrow as the shouts of the prisoners did not lessen and guards were sure to follow. "Hello Helena," Oliver finally said stopping in front of a cell, voice changer on.

"Look who it is," she laughed. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, dressed in orange. "To what do I owe this visit by both archers?" She wearily eyed up the Dark Archer.

"The city is in danger," he explained. "We don't have enough people to defend it."

"And what makes you think I'll help?" Helena scoffed, turning away from the bars. She wanted nothing to do with Oliver.

"Because I still believe there's good in you," he argued, and he ignored Malcolm's snort. "We could use your help Helena. Killing your father did not lessen your pain, let me help you again to try and find a way to dull it."

"By what? Being a hero?" she hissed, less forcefully this time. "I've already let the darkness in. It's not going away."

"Then what do you have to lose?" Oliver asked as he pulled form his belt a folded up miniature crossbow. He held it out to her; it was a big risk asking for her help. Nonetheless, she could fight, and against the hunters and Slade, they needed every able hand possible.

"You'll get to shoot at the hunters," Malcolm added, and this caused Helena to jump to her feet.

"Where do I sign up?" she asked taking the crossbow. She was quite sour over what happened with Talia, and any chance to go after that League bitch was worth the possibility of dying.

Oliver shot Malcolm an incredulous look. He wanted Helena to move away from the idea of revenge and try and accept helping people; shooting at the hunters was not how that worked. He watched as the Dark Archer's cowl moved to what looked to be a smile. Knowing they didn't have time for this though, Oliver handed over the crossbow nonetheless, and he had Malcolm go to find the release for this particular cell.

Just as Helena was freed, guards appeared- a good twenty or so-, and they froze at the sight of the vigilante. That hesitation faded when Helena raised her bow, but she didn't immediately fire. "I don't think you want me killing them, do you?" she asked.

"No," he growled just as he pulled out a smoke grenade and smashed it into the ground. The guards coughed and gagged as did Helena. Oliver picked her up with ease and rushed back onto the main floor. As he entered, he was forced to stop at the sight of a few prisoners now free-roaming.

Malcolm rejoined him just then, and the archers, all three, raised their bows with the intention of fighting their way out.

…

Isabel lowered the gun just as Sebastian finished his tantrum about what he wanted for the city. It was rather pathetic that he hadn't realized just how much he had been manipulated until the end. Stepping over his body, Isabel joined Slade by the window of Queen Consolidated; it was a perfect view to watch the city burn.

Nearby Talia stood along with Reese and Kali, and the two lesser hunters were having trouble not laughing with the thought of what was beneath their feet in the sewers. They did not move though; a bit longer they had to wait. A few of Slade's soldiers and two assassins also were in the room awaiting their orders.

"Go," Slade growled to his. They would release his army on the unsuspecting city.

"You two," Talia said referring to her own men. "ARGUS. Keep them occupied." The two mirakuru-infused assassins nodded. The remaining assassins would stay with Slade's army, but they wanted to keep ARGUS from helping or doing anything else that might be drastic… at least until they were out of the city.

"Let's see this city burn," Shado purred.

"Yes let's," Slade chuckled as he caught sight of the darkened sky that would soon be ablaze with fire.

**Note:** I am way too good to you guys. This many updates in one weekend? Geesh. Well I hope this makes up to you guys for the wait during the week. It's begun, so I hope you guys enjoy what's to come and what's going to change.


	62. United

**Chapter 61**

Oliver, Malcolm, and now Helena rushed out the alley into the abandoned street near the prison. Considering how many guards they had ran into, they were lucky to have left alone and with no bullet wounds to accompany them. In Helena's hands sat her Huntress uniform, and she looked gleeful to have it back. Oliver and Malcolm were just grateful to have escaped unscathed since once the prisoners had again noticed the vigilante in their midst, it had turned into an all-out fight.

"We need to get back to the mansion," Oliver said once he had caught his breath. It had taken quite a bit running and a few backtracks to find a gap in the fence where they wouldn't get sniped. Malcolm didn't question that choice; the cure was still at the house. If they wanted any shot against Slade's men, they needed to get their arrows prepped for it. Thankfully, Digg had said he would take care of it while they were on their retrieval mission, so hopefully by the time they returned, the arrows would be ready.

Malcolm would have still preferred to just kill the men, but he had seen how many hits they could take before going down. It could take his entire quiver before he even made a dent, and there were too many men to make that a possibility. Who knew who else Talia could have had under her thumb as well. They had thus only accounted for around fifty men; while they expected additional men, they had no idea how many. Neither archers wanted to comment on how dangerous a League member with mirakuru would be.

"I should probably change first," Helena stated before running behind a dumpster to switch out of her obnoxiously loud prison coveralls. As the only ones really on the street, it really didn't matter much. They were obvious dressed as they were.

"Something isn't right," Malcolm stated, his instincts on high edge. In his hands, he had his bow gripped tight, and he was checking each vantage point for something that wasn't there.

Oliver felt it too; the hair on his neck was standing on end. The air felt alive with electricity, so Oliver closed his eyes and focused onto what he was feeling, whatever that was. The prison was far enough away from the city that it was dead silent save for the prison alarms still blaring behind them. Tuning that out though, Oliver sought for what had them both on edge, and finally now that he was in tuned with it, he could hear the screams. Something was going on in the heart of Starling.

The Dark Archer had obviously figured it out as well as he shared a concern look with Oliver. They needed to get back now. Trying their comms, they tried to get a more concrete idea of what was going on in the city. Felicity explained it was rioting and mass confusion as the cops worked to try and calm people down.

"There's nothing we can do for that," Malcolm said noticing Oliver's frown. "Unless you want to take on the citizens."

"No," he sighed, "but this is what Slade wants. People in the streets, rioting."

Just then, Helena chose to return, dressed as the Huntress once more. She gave both of the men a smile, but they quickly moved on to their bikes. The mansion was on the other end of the city, and with the trouble in the streets, it would take longer. Helena climbed on with Oliver, and she tightened her arms around his torso without even a question.

Starling City was chaotic. People were shouting, fires had been lit… the fear was understandable since the last time anything like this had occurred had been during the Glade earthquake incident. A few people noticed Oliver on his bike, dressed as the Hood, and the cheered after him. He was no longer hated at the very least.

"Felicity," Oliver called into his earpiece, "I need an open route back to the mansion." He could hear her furiously typing on the computer as she worked to see if the traffic cameras were up, and when they weren't, she had to hack a few business servers, ones that would have automatic back-up generators.

_"Oliver!_" Felicity cried when she noticed what was waiting around the next corner. But it was too late; they had turned and immediately slammed on their breaks at the sight of ten men, seven dressed as Slade and the other three dressed in League leathers. In the front stood Isabel Roschev, and she looked thrilled to see the archers. Next to her stood one of the hunters- Reese.

There was a slight temptation to leave the scene and continue on their way back to the mansion, but Oliver couldn't in good mind leave and risk the people up and around the corner. Dismounting his bike, he notched an arrow and faced the ten soldiers without hesitation. Helena was a bit slower, but she eventually joined the emerald archer as did Malcolm.

"You understand we are outnumbered?" Helena asked. She didn't have a complete grasp of what was going on, but Oliver had explained what the mirakuru could do. She wasn't sure how much she believed it yet, but if it was true, she wasn't thrilled with the idea of facing down ten of them.

"Thoughts?" Oliver asked Malcolm. He wanted the elder archer's opinion before they confronted the group directly.

"Do not let the League members group up," he responded. He had wanted to suggest they left, but it wouldn't do much good. With the mirakuru, even on bikes, they'd be run down. It was better to try and face them instead.

"Well Oliver," Isabel called over, dressed head to toe in a more feminine version of Deathstroke's preferred armor. "How's it feel to lose everything?"

Gritting his teeth at the hackling, Oliver looked more to Helena on this and said, "No killing." Seconds later, the first arrow left his bow; Malcolm didn't wait much longer after that to follow suit. Helena was the only one to stop; she suddenly felt like she was still missing large pieces of information. She had heard that the city was in danger because of the hunters she had dealt with and that someone else wanted Oliver's head… but neither Oliver nor the other archer had taken the time to explain that there was apparently an army to deal with. There was a bike near her, and she could have theoretically grabbed it and left. However as she watched the first few hits, she found her resolve crumbling to leave Oliver to deal with this.

Deathstroke's men stood their ground against the archers, and they simply allowed the arrows to embed in their flesh unmoving. The three League assassins looked bemused, each of them armed with swords.

Helena, annoyed, put an arrow into one of the assassin's neck. Blood spurted out, and she watched in a mixture of horror and fascination as they pulled it out, unblinking and smirking. She was also shocked by how Oliver didn't comment on what could have been a lethal shot. At least it would have been for any normal human being… which these men obviously weren't.

"You can't win," Reese called over.

"He's right," Oliver growled under his breath. "The only way to stop them is to kill them, and we don't even have enough arrows for that."

"Then what's the plan?" Helena asked holding her ground next to the archers.

"We need to force them into unknown territory," Malcolm suggested. He was less worried about Slade's men and more concerned about the assassins. They were well-trained and highly adaptable to new situations. They had yet to make a move, but the Dark Archer could see that was only due to them observing the fighting styles.

"Agreed," Oliver sighed. "There's a subway system two blocks north of here. Force the fight down there. Keep people out of the fight."

They took a step back, each with the intention of returning to the bikes, and Isabel's smile grew. She wanted to have another long laugh at the sight of the emerald archer ready to turn tail, and she couldn't believe her luck when five more of Slade's assassins appeared near the bikes, effectively trapping the archers.

"Fifteen against three?" Helena hmmed, sarcasm reigned in her tone but there was a hint of fear as well.

"We'll have to confront them without our bows," Malcolm muttered.

Oliver nodded, "Injure as many as we can. Then take on the remainders hand to hand. Hopefully we can stagger them." It was the only way they'd win; fifteen against three wouldn't be bad odds if the mirakuru wasn't involved or the League.

"We need to kill them," Malcolm said slowly knowing Oliver would not like this option, and he watched as his words caused the younger archer to tense. By his side, the Arrow clenched his fists because he knew Malcolm was right. Unless they wanted to be killed, they didn't exactly have a lot of options since they couldn't tie up or hospitalize any of Slade's men.

Nonetheless, Oliver forced out a definite no. He wasn't going to recede to how he once was just because the odds were stacked against him. "I'd rather run."

"I'm going with this archer," Helena stated pointing to Malcolm. She hadn't been formally introduced to him yet. "We need to kill them."

"No," he repeated.

Malcolm sighed and nodded. He would have preferred his option, but he would relent this one time. He could tell that this 'no kill' rule meant more to Oliver than his life, and the elder Merlyn could support such conviction. He didn't need to be told that this all stemmed from Tommy, so it was just another reason he was willing to follow it as well.

Reese turned to one of the League assassins. "Go," he ordered. The only one who had to die was the female, and that was the only thing that had stalled the group thus far. Slade had commanded Oliver be brought to him alive, and Talia wanted Malcolm for what she would do to Thea. Which meant that it was better to allow the assassins to do the work; they had more control and were less likely to snap the Hood's neck.

One of the assassins hadn't made it more than three feet towards the archers when an arrow went through his chest then neck. A final one struck through the soft tissue that the eye holes left unprotected. The mirakuru wasn't enough to save the brain from damage, so the assassin dropped. Malcolm and Oliver spun to the five soldiers behind them to see that one was wielding a bow.

"What are you doing?" Reese hissed, and Isabel just stood in blatant shock. With Oliver's 'no kill' golden rule, she hadn't thought they would lose any soldiers during the confrontation, and she least of all hadn't thought one of Slade's would betray them.

"My job," the prisoner shouted back, but it sounded oddly feminine. The ex-hunter recoiled as the one with the bow separated themselves from the others and pulled off Slade's mask. Alec's braided hair fell from the mask, and she shot her old teammate a smile. "Something you apparently have forgotten how to do."

Oliver snapped out of his shock quickly and became relieved. He hoped the reappearance of Viper also meant Sara had returned to them. They needed all the help they could get. Next to him, Malcolm was undecided on his feelings that the hunter was alive and apparently well. Ra's al Ghul should have killed her; he had killed others for less against his daughters after all.

"You're still outnumbered," Isabel chuckled with a wave of her hand. Even with the dead assassin, it was sixteen of them, including Reese and herself, against now the four of them. "Kill her!" she called to the remaining four soldiers near the hunter.

One moved to follow, but another pulled out a sword and shoved it through the first's chest before decapitating him. The other two scrambled at each other, but it quickly became evident how the fight would go. The one wielding the sword again decapitated another, leaving two and Viper. They too removed their masks.

"Better odds if you ask me," Nyssa called over throwing the Slade mask aside as did Sara. It hadn't been the easiest of things to slip into these armors earlier, but it had been worth it. They had completely surprised their enemy, and Reese looked ready to bolt at the sight of the younger al Ghul. The severity of trouble he was in seemed to finally sink in.

"Been through worse," Sara added, bo-staff in hand. The three League members were still dressed in the heavy armor the prisoners wore.

"You're still…" Isabel started before she noticed Reese's palpable fear. Glancing up to the roofs, she saw archers on every roof top.

"Looks like you're the one outnumbered," Oliver called over to Isabel.

And that was all it took for a fight to break out.

Oliver, Malcolm, and Helena, even, entered the chaos. Each had their bows raised, but unlike Helena, who was relying on arrows, the two men had chosen to use their bow as a melee weapon. From above, arrows reigned down, but each shot was precise. Even though Malcolm was dressed similar to the traitors, not a single arrow even nicked him. As one prisoner came close to him, he would kick them high across the face, and while the mirakuru would give them some ability to withstand, they had never been formally trained. They would stumble and give the archers above a clear shot.

The Arrow tried not to cringe at the sight of the bodies; he had wanted to avoid killing. However, he understood he had no control currently over the assassins, but he promised himself when the fighting died down, he'd share a word with Nyssa. This was still his city. No one had to die tonight… except maybe Slade. Oliver was torn.

Next to him, Viper had joined the fray, and he watched as the hunter jumped over a bent over traitor to the League. When she came up, she had caught him in a headlock, and seconds later, his neck had been cleanly snapped. Nyssa was fighting similarly; only Sara was showing any sort of restraint.

Oliver soon found himself face to face with Isabel, and he tried to remind himself of his rule. This woman had stolen his company and helped to murder his mother. It was hard to not remember these things when she had a cocky smile written across her face. The rest of the fighters faded into the background.

The first hit immediately warned him of the fact she had mirakuru in her system, and the punch she returned with sent him stumbling. When she came at him again, he kicked her in the sternum with little effect, but he didn't relent by trying a kick to her temple. This one sent her reeling, and he came at her again with a high uppercut. It felt like slamming his fist into cement, but he continued nonetheless.

Nyssa and Sara fought back to back. Thankfully the majority of the prisoners had never faced a League assassin, so they were out of their depth. Both League members used their superior training to thin the herd of men. Above the archers kept up their hail of arrows, and Nyssa would follow since as long as they took the head off of each mirakuru crazed man, the men would stay down. Muscle memory kept Sara from killing anyone yet; she had worked long enough with Oliver, that killing truly wasn't second nature to her anymore.

Somehow in the midst of the chaos, Viper and Helena had found each other, and the Huntress had recognized the hunter in an instant. She immediately had lunged for the assassin, but Viper hadn't hesitated with a roundhouse kick to the fight, followed with another kick to the face. The Huntress collapsed to the cement in a heap. That done, Viper had turned to go after Reese, but the ex-hunter had disappeared. She tried not to scowl at the fact he had turn tail to run, and she promised to find him later this night.

Isabel grabbed Oliver along the mid-section to throw him over her hip, but he was able to plant his feet and prevent it. With a hard elbow, Oliver forced her to let him go, and then he spun, slapping her across the face with his bow. He chanced a glance out to see that most of Slade's men had fallen under the volley of arrows.

As Isabel stumbled, Nyssa snatched the woman by the hair and threw her hard into a nearby lamp post. "If you only killed your opponents, you wouldn't be here," she growled. If Slade had only died during the first confrontation…

"No, don't!" Oliver snapped as Nyssa circled Isabel.

"You won't win," Isabel laughed through the blood trickling through her mouth. "He's going to kill you all. This city is…" Nyssa snapped the woman's neck without a second thought.

"No killing," he growled trying to ignore the body now lying at his feet. When he checked again, he discovered all the men who had tried to stop them this night were now dead. Slade was now down fifteen men, so there was a bit of a silver lining to all the dead bodies.

"It's weak," Nyssa argued, but she could tell she wasn't going to win this fight.

"You here to help?" Malcolm asked stepping over the unconscious Helena. "Or to finish what Viper started?"

"They're here to help," Sara said for Nyssa. "On loan from Ra's al Ghul himself."

"Yes," Viper said joining the group. When she was within range, she pulled on Malcolm's cowl lightly. "Which means keep this on at all times." Pointing to the League members on the roof, she explained a breath later, "I'd prefer not to drive our allies over to Talia."

"Hunters might not be the friendliest," Sara continued, "but they would question why Ra's would ask them to work with a traitor with a larger body count over his own daughter."

"So this," Viper said, yanking on his cowl once more, "stays on anytime we're near anyone that isn't in this group."

"You again?" Helena groaned as she came to, hand to her head. She was glaring daggers into Viper, and her finger was itching for her crossbow. "When did you form your own little justice league?" she joked harshly referring to both Nyssa and Sara as well now.

"Perhaps we can take this conversation off the streets?" Viper asked. "Slade and Talia still have more men then us combined." She wasn't in the mood to die at the beginning of the night.

"Right," Oliver sighed trying to ignore the bodies. "What about them?" he asked about the archers.

"They will continue to patrol the streets," Nyssa explained. "Until I give them more specific orders."

"Then start with this one," Oliver growled, making sure he got his point across. "No killing. We have a cure. That's what we're going to use to fight this."

"They finished it?" Sara asked taken back to which Oliver nodded.

"It would be easier," Nyssa began, but when Oliver narrowed his gaze, she relented. "For now, fine. We will do this your way. Now would you kindly lead the way, so we can discuss how to handle my older sister and Deathstroke."

…..

The first thing Nyssa, Sara, and Viper did upon arriving at the mansion was switching from Slade's gear back into their own. The hunter couldn't be sure how the younger Queen had discovered her return so quickly, but she hadn't even pulled on upper leathers when Thea was in the room with her.

Thea had been waiting impatiently for her brother to return when she had heard through the comms what was going on. At first, she had been terrified for Oliver; he had been outnumbered, and she had little trust in Malcolm to protect her brother. She had been eternally grateful when the League, the ones that apparently still followed the rules, had appeared to help. It evened the odds, and surviving until morning didn't seem so far out of reach anymore.

"You came back," Thea said breathlessly. Her eyes were drawn to the hunter's visible body; she had expected scars similar to her brother… but what she saw caused her to recoil a bit… There was nothing save for some partially visible tattoo of a snake.

"What?" Viper snorted as she finished pulling on her leathers and then hood. "I told you I would try."

"It's just," she stumbled. "I expected scars. Something that you know screamed assassin."

"That's the thing," Viper chuckled stepping past Thea and running her fingers gently across the younger girl's face. "If you're good at your job, no reason to get injured doing it."

Thea shook herself from her stupor and followed after the hunter. "So… did you come back for…"

"I came to help your brother," she explained. "My master sent myself, Sara, Nyssa, and a small group of our best archers to try and cull his men." Stopping for a moment in the hallway, Viper turned to Thea and asked, "You still have those knives?" When she nodded, Viper let out a breath she had been holding. "Good, keep those close." She met the younger girl's hungry gaze. "When this night is over, and whether I'm alive or dead…"

Thea interrupted, "You won't…" But she couldn't go farther when Viper simply held up her hand and effectively silenced the younger Queen.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," she shrugged. "The head hunter is strong, but she will be a threat to you until eliminated." Frowning, she continued with, "At the end of the night, you will probably want to still leave town. For safety…"

"From you?" Thea asked, lips pursed. "That man is not my father. Why must I be killed for his crimes?" The last part was said in a whisper.

Viper went to answer when she considered the strangeness of the situation. As the last remainder hunter, things had changed a lot.

"You won't kill me," Thea continued with moving away from the hunter, and Viper couldn't help but smirk.

"Confident aren't you?" she asked with a chuckle.

"You have a sense of honor," the younger Queen replied with ease.

"Blood for blood," Viper called after, but she followed nonetheless. Internally, she promised herself to show Thea which knife contained the highest concentration of venom. At least that way if anything did go wrong, the girl would have an option to go out quickly. There were parts of her job she did not enjoy, and this was one of those times. "You need to run," she reiterated. "Don't tell me where, don't tell anyone. Vanish. Please."

Thea turned to consider the hunter and frowned. "You won't kill me."

"I won't have a choice," she argued. "It's my job. Our code dictates this. Either both of you die or you kill him."

The younger Queen paused before still settling with, "You won't kill me."

"Believe that if you wish," Viper said, wondering when the girl had gotten such a strong conviction over the hunter's morals. "But run anyway, please?" And she relaxed when finally the younger woman relented and agreed to the hunter's terms.

When they reached the dining room, there was hesitation on Thea's face. Inside they were strategizing, and the hunter didn't blame the girl. Thea probably felt out of place surrounded by fighters, assassins, and vigilantes. However a good sense of planning was useful for anyone, not just the League of Assassins, so she held out her hand for the younger Queen to take.

"Come on," Viper proclaimed. "You could help."

"How?" she muttered.

"Another point of view."

With their numbers lacking, they had to find another way to even the battlefield. She waited patiently for Thea to finally reach out and grasp her hand; at which point, the hunter practically dragged Thea into the room.

Nyssa and Oliver had returned to arguing about whether or not to kill, and they didn't even stop when the hunter had entered. Sara was leaning in a corner, looking as though she was trying to stave off a headache. Malcolm was in the opposite corner, closest to the exit, and ready to bolt if things went wrong. Diggle, Felicity, and Helena, on the other hand, were taking the time to glare and yet ignore each other.

"How about a compromise?" Viper suggested wanting to get on with things. This caught both Nyssa and Oliver's attention. "We don't kill the men from your city, but if they're League, we have our own discretion."

"What is it about no killing that you don't grasp?" Oliver sighed.

Nyssa snapped, "They're our men. Our rules, our code. That makes them our problem. Cure or no cure." She was unrelenting on this part, and before they could go at it again, Viper unrolled a map of Starling City. "What are you thinking?" she asked pushing past the vigilante. Hunters due to their natures were strategists, and while Nyssa was technically highest ranked, she wasn't about to ignore the opinions of a hunter.

"We need to find a place where their numbers means nothing," Oliver stated. He stared at the map of Starling.

"Subway system," Malcolm tried, but he could tell it was a sore subject still. He had left the markov device in a subway system, so it wasn't a shock that they hadn't forgotten that.

"Underground will be too difficult," Sara said with a shake of her head.

"You'd also risk collapses," Thea said meekly. "They're abandoned for a reason after all."

Viper nodded, "Good point. So subways are out."

Felicity stepped up to the map just in time for Diggle to receive a call; whatever it was, it was urgent as he stepped from the room. She had spent enough time looking at Starling City last year when helping to find the markov device. There were a few areas that weren't underground but were relatively secluded.

"There's a tunnel system," she explained pointing to one that did lead out of the city.

"That's far," Nyssa frowned.

"We'd have to lure them there too," Sara added. "And then hope they didn't leave the city."

"Verdant," Viper suggested. "We might not be able to get all of them there in one shot, but we could get a large number upstairs and some downstairs."

"They'd be able to move…" Sara began before trailing off. Her mouth formed an 'o' as she figured out what Viper was proposing. "A full lockdown would give us time to deal with one group then the next."

"How many men does Talia have?" Malcolm asked.

"Twenty," Viper answered. "All non-archers though." Everyone they had brought, on the other hand, were.

"Plus the fifty Slade has," Sara sighed.

"Take away fifteen," Viper reminded. "And you have fifty five. If we fought as a unit, we could take out half while the archers we brought dealt with the others."

"What about Slade or Talia?" Thea asked.

"We have to deal with his men first," the hunter explained. "They're far stronger, so we need to cut down their support first." To this, Thea nodded and returned to silence.

Diggle chose that particular moment to return, ashen white. He glanced around at the inhabitants of the room and announced, "I'm not going wherever you are."

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked, worry for his friend masking everything else.

"It's Lyla and ARGUS," he practically whispered. "There are League members there trying to take over the base of operations. I can't leave her."

"And you can't go alone," the younger archer frowned.

"We can't spare anyone," Nyssa said. "Not even Mr. Merlyn." The last part was said in contempt. She hadn't forgotten being kidnapped by the man, but he was one of the best archers ever trained by the League. He'd be invaluable here against Talia and her men.

"Wait, Malcolm Merlyn?" Helena asked, mouth agape. She turned on Oliver. "So let me get this straight. You lecture me on killing a few dozen people and lock me up for it, but if I had dropped a city on a bunch of innocent people, I'd be your best friend?" She stared in disgust at the two archers. "I'll help you Digg. If only to get away from Mr. Hypocrisy over here."

"It's Diggle," he growled. "And no I don't…"

"Digg," Oliver whispered.

"Guess I don't have time to be picky huh?" he sighed before he nodded. The last thing he wanted was to bring a sociopath into ARGUS, but he couldn't deny the help she would be against assassins.

It wasn't the best of plans but it was something. Diggle and Helena were unable to wait around long; they had to rush to ARGUS. Felicity had been tempted to go along, but she knew she was needed here more. She had spent some time setting up her computer and hacking the computers at the Foundry. If she was able to enable a lockdown from here, it would be safer and more efficient then trying to talk anyone through it.

In an off-shoot from the dining room, Felicity and Oliver stood close together. His arms were wrapped tightly around her as he considered how close a mere hour ago he had been to dying. It was reminiscent of that time the Dark Archer had put him in the hospital; the last thing he wanted to do was leave Felicity alone. However, he also wasn't going to risk her life by not fighting. She had been right; he wasn't done.

"You will beat him," she murmured into his chest. "I believe in you." Her fingers clutched tightly at his leather. "Just come back in one piece… Please."

She could feel him nod at the top of her head, and she closed her eyes to relax for a moment in his grip. This would be the last time they had together until the fight was over. The arrows were almost ready, Nyssa had called a few assassins back to explain the plan, and Viper and Malcolm… well, and they were doing something surely. Everything was falling in place, and she worried what would happen if something did go wrong.

"I promise," he whispered to her, and for a moment, she had forgotten her own words. "For you, I promise I'll come back."

"He won't beat you," she said sure of herself. She glanced up and saw his face. "You have us," she grinned, and they shared a brief kiss.

"Yes I do, don't I?" he murmured against her hair.

Meanwhile back in the relatively empty dining room, Malcolm snatched Viper's arm as she turned to leave; her entire body coiled and trembled under concealed rage. He forced the hunter to face him, and he could feel the danger in his actions. However, there were things for them to discuss. By the end of the night, either of them could be dead, one or both.

"Let go of me," she hissed.

"You shouldn't be here," he spoke. "Ra's al Ghul is not a fickle man. It shouldn't have mattered that Talia was in the wrong. She is his daughter. And you should be dead." He tightened his grip on her arm when he felt her move to lunge away; he wasn't done with her yet. He wanted to understand what changed the demon's mind. "Yet, you returned here without a scratch even. How?" He had his theories

"I'm likeable," she replied snarky with shrug. "You're not." When he continued to resist her attempts to leave, she snarled and grabbed him around the throat and pushed him hard against the wall nearby. Ignoring the height difference, they were only a few hairs apart. "Make no mistake Mr. Merlyn, you're only alive because of the necessity. Here's some advice and heed it." She ripped her arm free. "If come the end of the night, we are both alive, either be sure you put an arrow in my back or start running. Because you are still on my list to kill… Slowly," she enunciated the last word before turning to go address the assassins outside. They had to start working to round up and attract as many of Slade's men as possible to decrease the innocent casualties.

"And what of Thea?" he asked, stopping her in her tracks.

Casting a glance over her shoulder, Viper smirked, "Haven't you heard her? She's not your daughter." Or that was at least what Thea constantly proclaimed, and while Viper wished that was how it worked, Ra's had made himself clear before she had returned to Starling. However, she didn't need Malcolm thinking about his daughter in that manner right before a larger fight like this… and she didn't want to risk an arrow from him in the middle of a fight either. There were ways around blood for blood, but Viper couldn't take the time to consider those either. After the fight, if she lived, she'd be sure to give the younger Queen time if need be to run.

**Note:** Okay before I get _ reviews about a discrepancy from two chapters ago. Yes I know about it. Reasons, I quote again.  
And yep I got a chapter out early, but that's because of how much set-up is in here (GAH!). Next one won't be out until weekend (Digg at ARGUS with Helena, and the mash up team against Slade's army); however, I am hoping to finish this this weekend and get a preview of Valkyrie typed up.


	63. The Odds

**Chapter 62**

Oliver turned the corner to return to the rest of his team, minus Digg, who had immediately gone to Lyla's aid with Helena. He silently hoped they wouldn't kill each other before arriving. It was a known fact of Diggle's contempt for the Huntress, but with the choices being either her or a League assassin, he didn't entirely blame his partner for just dealing with the Bartinelli. The assassins could be a bit overwhelming, and they would be even less likely to listen to orders outside of Nyssa's.

Viper brushed past him with a barely concealed snarl, and Oliver tried not to think on what Malcolm might have said to have caused that. He was ready to chew out the elder archer for it too, but as he stared at the Merlyn, head tilted down, in obvious thought, he stopped himself. Instead, he grabbed his new quiver of cure-laced arrows and said,

"You ready for this?"

Malcolm had known Oliver was there, but he was trying to grasp the last remnants of his moment alone before he addressed the younger archer. He tried to understand how it had come to this: Slade and an army of mirakuru men, hunters, assassins, Moira's death. When he had returned to Starling City, none of this had been a possibility in the back of his mind; least of all was the fact he was now fighting next to the archer that had almost killed him a year ago. Robert… he paused his thoughts on that name before allowing himself to finish… his friend had done a good job raising Oliver, and Malcolm wished he had done a similar job with Tommy. If he had, perhaps, he'd still have his oldest.

No matter what happened, Malcolm intended to survive the night; he had a second chance with Thea. He would do better with her, and for her, he'd keep Oliver alive at all costs. Turning, he finally reacted to Oliver's word, curtly nodding in response. It was all that needed to be said between them.

Outside Nyssa and Sara stood together, a few assassins waiting patiently nearby. They would send out the message about the plan, but since their current leader hadn't released them yet, they stood still as statues. Near the driveway and far from earshot, Viper had taken residence, eyes closed and body relaxed. She was doing everything in her power to avoid Thea now; in her mind, she was repeating her vow to Ra's al Ghul and the code that she lived by as a hunter.

"We're outnumbered," Sara whispered to Nyssa only. They stood a breath apart, but they were far from comfortable near each other. The adrenaline of the night and the anticipation of a fight had them both on edge.

"Yes, it will be quite difficult to even those odds if we cannot kill," Nyssa sighed. "And then there is my sister and the two hunters."

"We've had worse odds," she smiled, albeit compulsory. There had been worse odds, but never with hunters thrown into the mix. "That cure might not even work."

Nyssa nodded and brushed a bit of hair from Sara's shoulder. "If it doesn't, we will do what we have always done, I suppose." They shared a real smile this time as they thought of surviving. If there was anything Sara excelled at, it was being extremely difficult to kill as was Oliver. They wouldn't go down tonight without a fight.

"What do you think your father said to Alec?" Sara asked, chancing a glance in the hunter's direction. She was the last hunter for the League since one was dead and the rest were traitors. "Hunters have always been… aloof, but." Sara wasn't sure how to put her thoughts into words; since Nanda Parbet, the hunter had avoided them like the plague, Nyssa especially.

"Most likely something to do with Malcolm Merlyn," she suggested, but she didn't entirely believe her own words. If that had been what her father wanted to talk about, she would have been allowed to stay in the room as well. After the hunters, she was one of the next best trained assassins. She wouldn't be entirely shocked when they returned to Nanda Parbet if she was asked to take on some duties of the hunters.

"I'm not letting her touch Thea," Sara stated. She needed Nyssa to know this; she wasn't going to stand by come the end of the night and allow the hunter to lay a single finger on the younger Queen. She'd take banishment first.

There was a moment hesitation before Nyssa claimed she understood; family was important to the League. Thea was practically Sara's sibling in some ways, so the need to protect was strong. Nyssa couldn't blame her lover for that, but she wasn't sure what she could do to help. Her father had the main control over the hunters… well hunter… She could in the short term tell Viper to back off, but that was it.

"I understand but it's our way," she whispered in response to Sara. "If Malcolm were to die though…"

Sara frowned but nodded anyway. She wasn't sure how she felt about that either now; the elder Merlyn had ample opportunity on multiple occasions to leave them. He had helped to save Oliver even, and while she wanted to see him punished, she wasn't sure she wanted to stand by and watch him take the full brutality of the last remaining hunter. At the very least Viper wasn't Talia.

Back inside the house, Oliver helped Felicity finish up the set-up for the computer. She was certain she could hack the Foundry and initiate a full lockdown. They just had to get a chunk of the army down there first, which required live bait. Felicity only hoped that Oliver didn't sign himself up for that; anyone else would work just as well. It terrified her to think that she could accidently lock someone in the basement with a large group of assassins. The last thing she wanted was to hand out a death sentence.

Oliver seemingly knew her thoughts as he wrapped his arms around her a moment later. He rested his chin on her head and held her tight against him. They relaxed into each other, and some of Felicity's terrible thoughts melted away. He gave her the strength she needed to trust her actions.

The sound of a phone vibrating caught both of their attentions, and with a steely gaze, Oliver picked it up. "Yes Detective," he said, the Arrow persona adopted automatically. He could hear Officer Lance explaining what was going on; an efflux of soldiers had just emerged from the sewer system. They had begun to wreak havoc on the city; people were dying. "Contain them as best you can." There wasn't much else he could tell the Detective. "We are working on a solution." He bid Lance a quick goodbye and tried not to think of the danger he had just placed Laurel and Sara's father into. He should have gone outside to tell Sara what had just happened, but he needed her help. The only way to protect Lance now was to draw the mirakuru men to Verdant. He had to hope that Slade wanted him that badly and that Talia would chase after either or both Malcolm and Viper.

"No… that's just… No way," Roy's voice filtered into the room, and Oliver spun to see the young man stumbling into the kitchen. Thea was behind him, hand plastered against her face, guilty frown on her face. "You're… you're the Arrow?"

Oliver couldn't believe Roy was back on his feet and using complete sentences. "How are you feeling?" he asked. He needed to be sure that the cure worked before they all ran into the field using it.

"Um," Roy stuttered. "I feel… Normal." He glanced to Thea then around the room. "Did you do this to me?"

"He undid it," Felicity supplied happily.

"What do you remember?" Oliver continued, but Roy shook his head.

"Not much," he admitted. "I remember the super strength, and the Arrow… you… knocking me out." He had lost all the most recent events. "You didn't kill me."

"I didn't need to," Oliver replied reaching out and grasping Roy's shoulder. "I'm glad you're back on your feet. I need you to stay here with Thea."

"I want to help," he argued. "I don't know what's going on, but I can fight."

"No you can take a beating," Malcolm argued. "There is a difference. You would be a liability to us." With his cowl on and up, Roy had no clue who he was. However, he was more than willing to argue against the elder archer.

"I need you here," Oliver said, deciding placating would be more effective then insults. "With Thea and Felicity. You just woke up."

"I can fight," Roy argued. "You saved my life! I want to help."

"Then help by protecting my sister and… girlfriend," he said, the last word being a tad different. He hadn't used such terms in so long, but that's what Felicity was if not more. She was everything to him, and he was not going to fail her tonight. This seemed to finally get thru to Roy as he gave in with a meek nod.

"Still can't believe you're him," he muttered.

"You should have seen me when I found out," Thea laughed. "It was less disbelief and more anger." The younger Queen was just thrilled that Roy was alive and alright. When he had opened his eyes and seen her, she could see how much he cared for her. She had tried to keep him from the kitchen, but the lack of familiar surroundings had set him on edge. At least, she thought to herself, that Mr. Merlyn had his cowl up. Roy would not respond well to knowing that he was here as well.

Picking up the arrows filled with the cure, Oliver waved for Malcolm to follow him outside. They needed to distribute these, and then they had to go hunting so to speak.

…..

"What is she doing here?" Lyla asked from behind her cover as Helena and Diggle came up. He had his gun drawn, and the Huntress had her own pistol. She had abandoned her crossbow in favor of bullets.

"You said you needed help," Digg growled, ducking out from behind the cover to see an empty hallway. He doubted though that it was actually empty; the ground being splattered with blood told a different story. "We didn't have time to pick and choose."

"Hi I'm Helena," she said to Lyla, who rolled her eyes and kept her distance.

"I've seen your dossier. I know who you are exactly Ms. Bartinelli." Pointing with her gun, Lyla indicated the left of the hallway. "One assassin was there, and the other took off for main operations. John, our drone commands are in there."

Rubbing his face wearily with one hand, Digg considered their very limited options. They needed to get to main operations, but there was no possibility that the assassin was simply going to let them walk by. He remembered what it was like to be tossed like a ragdoll with those that had the mirakuru in their system; he didn't want to think how nasty League members would be injected. Even with Helena, they still didn't have enough manpower.

"I have an idea," he admitted. "You're not going to like it."

Lyla didn't even need to ask; she could read it on his face. With a frown, she sighed, "You're right I don't like it Johnny."

"Aw you two have pet names," Helena teased. "But could we perhaps focus."

"I'll stay," Lyla said before he had a chance to continue with his insane plan. "You go get him."

"Should I expect resistance?" he asked, and Lyla numbly shook her head. "They were that efficient?" They referring to the assassins currently on base. The two hadn't held back when it came to cleaning house apparently; it made him wonder if Amanda was still alive.

As Digg went to fetch Deadshot, Helena and Lyla remained. The two women quickly pushed aside their own issues to focus on dealing with the assassin at the end of the hall. As Helena had seen earlier, brain damage did seem to stop them, so Lyla just needed a clear shot. That in mind, the Huntress left the safety of her cover, gun lax in her grip.

Helena hadn't gotten more than three feet down the hallway when a throwing knife came around the corner. Falling into a roll, she dodged the blade only to come up face to face with one of the assassins. He kicked her hard and sent her into the plaster of the nearby wall. Lyla squeezed off three ineffective rounds; the assassin took them to the chest, and he laughed.

Before Helena could completely recover, the assassin had grabbed her arm and had her thrown into the opposite wall. Her head snapped with the impact, but before he could snatch her arm again, she had thrown her elbow back. It felt like hitting a brick wall with how little he moved. She spun to continue her attack only for him to pin her into the wall. A swift kick to the groin forced him to let go, and she danced away.

The next attack she effectively dodged, and Lyla's next bullet caught the assassin in the neck. Blood spurted onto the wall, but he still didn't go down. The Huntress took a high kick to the face, and she collapsed to her knees, head ringing from the hit. She half-expected to die in that moment, but the assassin had turned his attention onto Lyla and began to stalk over. Even beneath his cowl, a smile of glee could be seen.

Lyla stepped back, gun raised, and at the worst possible time, it jammed. She worked quickly to try and eject the bullet, but by the time she had finished, the assassin was on her. She closed her eyes expecting a hit when another gun went off.

Deadshot stood behind her, his hand gun raised, but the bullet had torn into the assassin's chest. "Head," Digg explained, and she watched as Lawson's let out an 'oh' before adjusting his stance and putting three quick shots into the assassin's head. This dropped him, but to be certain, Lyla also squeezed off another two shots.

"That was quick," Lyla commented as she rejoined Diggle.

"He made it clear we didn't exactly have time to dally," Deadshot explained. He eyed up Helena thoughtfully. "What's it with Starling and masks?"

"Have you seen what you wear on your face?" Helena snorted. "I'll take my mask."

"Enough you two," Lyla interrupted. "We need to get to main control and take care of this last assassin."

"Is Amanda still alive?" Deadshot asked.

"Yes."

He shrugged, "That's too bad."

…

Oliver ducked under one soldier only to come to face with another. Every corner, every street was filled with them. In his ear, Felicity was doing her best to try and direct him to the easiest route to the club, but it was difficult. They had been right in their assumption that the soldiers would be highly interested in them- Oliver, Malcolm, Sara, and Alec. Nyssa had gone ahead to get her men together; they were going to meet them at the club.

Sara put another arrow into a soldier's chest, and he collapsed. They had taken out less than ten thus far with the cure, but that was because they were purposefully holding it back. Oliver didn't want Slade knowing about it too soon.

The Dark Archer dodged between two actual League traitors, barely missing their swords in the process. His own was out, but he had thus far used it only for defense. He blocked and kicked one soldier across the face. They barely stumbled, but it gave him adequate time to put some distance between them. He ran directly into Viper as a result; the hunter used it to her advantage by rolling over Malcolm's back in time to put an arrow into the assassin's chest. Unlike Oliver's, hers were not filled with the cure but a compilation of different toxins. The assassin groaned, but before he could stumble away, the poison worked to inhibit muscular function and attacked nerve endings. As he took a knee, Viper used one of her smaller knives to slice open his trachea and for good measure, she stabbed him in the spinal cord as well, severing it cleanly through.

"We need to get some distance between us and them," Sara called out, and there was a murmuring of agreements.

"Explosive arrows," Oliver shouted back, and the three archers each notched said trick arrow. They fired it at the feet of their attackers, forcing some space. They couldn't directly outrun the soldiers, but they were close enough to the club, that they didn't need to.

"I'll go basement," Viper said as she took the south entrance into the Foundry.

Oliver had planned on going himself, but there wasn't time to switch places. Sara, Malcolm, and himself headed onto the main floor of Verdant. It was completely deserted, but the floor showed signs of earlier use.

The three of them stayed on the dance floor, while above them the League that Nyssa had brought silently worked to position themselves. It wasn't an even split with the soldiers; they had about twenty up top, which meant thirty or so had followed Viper into the basement.

In his ear, Oliver could hear Felicity whispering for Viper to slip out before lockdown. They didn't want her trapped down there, but once it was initiated, he wasn't sure if she did get out. The soldiers seemed to realize their mistake, but they didn't look to care either.

"Hold," Oliver shouted as he raised his bow, cure notched. Malcolm followed suit, and Sara, using an extra bow, did the same. The soldiers held their position for a few seconds before they rushed onto the dance floor without thinking to look up. "Now!"

The League listened without hesitation, and the volley of arrows took those inflicted with mirakuru by surprise. They all stumbled in response, and a few went down unconscious. Those remaining charged the three on the dance floor, and Oliver, Sara, and Malcolm split to deal with that.

Viper charged from her position by the stairs and joined the fray. Knowing where there was a camera, she purposefully shot it a thumbs up to let Felicity know she was fine. Then, she went about either knocking Slade's men unconscious or killing the traitors to the League. There weren't that many though, and she frowned as she realized that there were only four here… and she had counted in the basement, there were only six. Some were completely missing, and she tried not to dwell on that for the moment.

Sara and Nyssa fought effectively together. They went back to back once the younger al Ghul had joined the downstairs fray. Without the mirakuru, the fight was relatively even, and Nyssa would easily send the men to their knees. She found it in her to follow Oliver's order and not kill, but she was still disgusted by the fact she had to.

The Canary spun past Nyssa in time to take out someone who had been coming at Nyssa in her blind spot. Using her bo-staff, Sara slammed their head into the table, and with a hard stomp, she broke their arm. It was one of Slade's men, so she resisted killing him as tempting as it was.

Oliver stood in the middle of one of the largest groups. He would use his bow to smack one or two away, but for each one he pushed away, another two would appear. Fighting hard, he caught one in the neck with his foot and another in the temple with his fist. Both crumbled, and when Oliver stepped back, he found someone at his backside. He spun with the intention of attacking until he saw it was Malcolm, bow raised. They shared a mutual nod before they went back to it.

Catching a man in a chokehold, Oliver held him until he stopped clawing and struggling, and then, he quickly moved onto the next. In the club, their numbers truly meant nothing. The assassins were used to fighting in closed areas, but he could see Viper was doing everything in her power to keep their attention on her. She worked with a deadly efficiency to slice one throat then move onto the next. She wasn't even using her bow anymore. The rest were prisoners- men who were used to street fights, nothing more.

The fight seemed never ending, and eventually, some of the assassin upstairs abandoned their posts to lend a hand with the close combat. They had been told to stay until the next set of prisoners were released, but based on the sound near the door to the Foundry, they didn't have much time before they broke free. The additional help would finish those still standing before they had the next set to deal with.

When the last man fell from the first group, those remaining stood panting with sweat dripping down their brows. It was still utterly exhausting to fight like this. They had lost three archers, but otherwise, team Arrow was in one piece.

"Ready for round two?" Sara asked Oliver, a grin stretched on her face. She had gotten tired of the killing, but she always had enjoyed knowing she helped. This was a reminder of what she would return to, but now, she could see why Ra's had them do what they did.

"Some traitors are missing," Viper sighed as she collected her bow.

"They're probably with Slade and Talia," Malcolm responded which the hunter conceded to.

"Then lets finish this up," she shrugged. "Don't want to keep those two waiting."

**Note:** Phew, these chapters are difficult. They're long and I don't want to overly stretch them, but I also want to keep them detailed enough. Bit hard of a balance, but think I'm doing okay.  
So the next chapter will actually pit Slade vs. Oliver and Nyssa, Malcolm and Alec vs. Talia. That will be the last action chapter (and it will probably be long). The final chapter will be an epilogue and a preview.

For those wondering since I never said it, how to pronounce Alec (Allie-Eik).


	64. Unthinkable

**Chapter 63**

The damage to the club was extensive. Portions of walls were missing, the staircase to upstairs had collapsed, and a good portion of the bar was non-existent. However considering the destruction to the club, it was a miracle that losses of life were at a minimum. Any League member who had turned was killed, but all of Slade's men had been successfully restrained. Three of their own had died, but against twenty-five, it was shocking they hadn't lost more.

Nyssa surveyed the club with a frown; she had known the three archers they had lost personally. They had been excellent assassins, and the League would feel their loss. Nonetheless, it could have been worse, and Nyssa was thankful no harm had come to Sara during the fight. The odds had been stacked against them, and most were only sporting bruises for their trouble.

The worst injury had been accrued by Sara, who had a nasty gash on her upper arm. The congealed blood clung to her corset, and it burned with every movement. It'd need stitches, but they didn't have time to waste. The club was devoid of life outside of team Arrow and the League archers sent to deal with Slade, but there was still the additional soldiers in the streets and Talia's men. They had been unable to round up everyone, and the police were still having difficulties even dealing with the few that remained.

In each of their ears, Felicity could be heard telling them what exactly what was going on where. The police station had been decimated in an attack, but Detective Lance had made it out okay. That did little to calm Sara's nerves; her father would continue to throw himself into danger if it meant protecting people. Nyssa squeezed her hand reassuringly; they had dealt with a majority of Slade's men, so he was in less danger now then he had been at the beginning of the night.

"How many of Talia's men were here?" Nyssa asked turning on Viper. The hunter's hands were on her knees, and she was panting lightly. The moment the al Ghul addressed her though, she straightened and wiped her brow clean.

"Not enough," she growled thinking on the six total that had been here. "There are ten left, not including Reese and Kali."

"And how many of Slade's?" Sara added as they did a body count.

"At least sixteen left," Oliver sighed as he did some quick math.

_"Fourteen,_" Felicity could be heard saying. _"The police were successful in killing two thus far. There are a few in the streets still, but I can't find most of them_." The clicking of keys was audible in each of their earpieces as she obviously worked hard to try and pinpoint Slade's location.

"They're with Slade and Talia," Viper said with certainty.

"Then we should find them," Malcolm said joining the conversation much to the hunter's dislike.

"I agree," Sara stated. "Let's take the fight to them."

Oliver shook his head and sighed. He had a pretty good idea where Slade might be; the man would sit and watch the city burn from a point where it meant something. "He's at Queen Consolidated," the younger archer explained.

"Will Talia go there?" Sara asked.

There was a moment of consideration before Viper had stepped in with her own opinion. Talia would have left Slade to his own devices the moment they had taken out this many men. She'd take her remaining assassins and leave the city… but not before causing as much destruction as possible which meant she'd be with the markov device.

"And where is that?" Sara frowned. "It could be anywhere in the city or even under the Glades again." Everyone flinched and looked to Malcolm.

_"I'll pull up the subway system again,_" Felicity said urgently. There was too much track to actually check, but they could find a starting point at the very least.

"Or I could turn on the tracker I placed on the device when I stole it," Viper suggested, and she watched as everyone turned and some gaped at her. "I never trusted Talia, so I took precautions." It was something any hunter that was loyal to Ra's al Ghul would have done, and Nyssa was the only one not too taken back. She had expected nothing less of a hunter.

"You stole it?" Oliver frowned, and Viper suddenly remembered she did drive off with it when he was fighting the triad.

"I didn't want to interrupt whatever you two," she said referring to him and Malcolm, "were doing. You looked busy." With a shrug, she sighed, "I was still under orders from Talia then." The last thing she wanted was to be blamed for this; back then, she had no choice but to follow whatever Talia had said. "Felicity," the hunter said, and at first, there was no response. There were hard feelings between them still apparently from the poisoning the first time they met. "You should be able to turn on the tracer and give us a location."

Again, there was no reply, so Oliver sighed and growled, "Felicity… please."

_"Working on it,_" she finally curtly replied. It was obvious in her tone that she did not appreciate being ordered around by the League member. _"Oh no,_" she said a breath later. _"Oliver… it's under Queen Consolidated._"

"Well that makes sense," Viper stated, and when she was shot a few questioning looks, she explained with a sigh, "Talia doesn't like Slade. He would have been on the League's list eventually, and she's doing this for Ra's. It'd make sense that before she left Starling, she'd try to kill the man."

"How much damage will the city incur with that device there?" Oliver asked. They needed to be ready to expect the worse.

Instead of Felicity answering, Malcolm did. "There's no fault line there, but it could topple Queen Consolidated and at least an additional four square blocks." QC was dead set in the business district, but nearby sat large scale apartment complexes. The loss of life would rival the night of the Glades earthquake. While they all wanted to stop Slade, the markov device had just gone to the top of everyone's list in terms of what needed to be dealt. Oliver refused to have another night like the one of the Undertaking. He had failed the city once; he wouldn't again.

"Okay," Oliver said after taking a deep breath. "Felicity, warn Detective Lance and see if he can get that area clear."

After a brief conversation, it was decided that a portion of Nyssa's archers would head into the city and help the police with any of Slade's stragglers. The rest would follow to deal with those at QC most likely protecting and guarding Slade. At first, Oliver wanted to go into the sewers to try and stop Talia, but Viper would have none of it. Talia was her problem; Ra's had made that explicitly clear. The hunter could deal with Talia, Reese, and Kali as long as Nyssa and Sara came with. She couldn't take all three on her own, but with some help, she was certain she could at least prevent Talia from activating the earthquake machine. The added bonus of this was that Oliver could go finish his business with Slade once and for all. Slade was Oliver's just as Talia's life belonged to the League.

Oliver wasn't sure how he felt leaving his city in the hands of League members, but Sara had seemingly knew this and smiled, "They'll stop her."

The League was bound by their code; they'd stop Talia. Ra's orders dictated this, and that included keeping the markov device from going off. Honor meant something to each assassin, and they'd rather be dead then fail in a mission.

Retrieving enough arrows for the substantial fight that was coming, the archers made their way to Queen Consolidated.

…..

Diggle and Lyla took cover behind a console as ARGUS soldiers shot at them. One would have thought they would have been grateful for the help; however, things had quickly devolved when Amanda had announced her intentions of leveling Starling City. She couldn't risk the mirakuru leaving the city, so she'd rather blame the explosion on a nuclear meltdown then trust Oliver to finish this.

The dead League member sat in the middle of the floor, two arrows and three bullets through his heart. The Huntress and Layton were rather proud of their work, and both were enjoying themselves. Bullets were something they were both accustomed to, so they weren't worried about the turn of events. If anything, Deadshot was appreciative of the chance he would get to put a bullet through Amanda.

ARGUS continued to open fire on the four occupants hidden in the console room, and without a break in the hail of bullets, none could find a chance to lean out and return fire. They were effectively pinned down as Amanda worked her way through channels to get a drone in the air.

Diggle growled to himself and smiled sadly at Lyla. "I can't let them," he whispered to her.

"I know Johnny," she replied. He was too good of a man to let this go without a fight. "I've got your back." She always had, and while things had been rocky between them for a while, she wasn't ready to turn away from him now. There was no acceptable excuse for leveling a city of innocent people, especially when there was hope it could be stopped.

Raising his gun, Digg shot blindly around the corner in an attempt to force the soldiers back. When their gunfire slowed, Floyd and Helena took their opportunities to stand and take a few clear shots at those in the room. The soldiers had to take cover in the outer hallway where Amanda stood, and they were obviously waiting for the reload. Then, they'd come back in and probably make a push to overtake them.

When Diggle went to reload, Lyla left her cover and helped to keep the soldiers from the room. They worked to reload in cycles, so they never had everyone doing it at once. While this kept the room clear, the soldiers eventually began to return fire blindly.

Floyd grunted when a bullet grazed his arm, but that only fueled him to fight harder. Loading his gun on his arm, Deadshot estimated where a few of the soldiers were standing on the other side of the wall, and he fired three rounds into it. Four men collapsed dead into the entrance, and he grinned at his handiwork.

The Huntress used the distraction to burst from her own cover and rush to the entry way. The next ARGUS man to look in received a high kick to the face, and she spun into the hallway using his body as a shield from the incoming barrage of bullets. Diggle and Lyla also moved in quickly, hoping to finish the fire fight as soon as possible.

Amanda was surrounded by an additional four soldiers, but with precision shooting from both Diggle and Lawton, they quickly fell. Soon only Amanda stood, shock written clearly on her face. In her hand sat a gun as well, but a few quick threats from Deadshot had her tossing the weapon away. Rage quickly took over as her prominent emotion.

"We cannot allow those men to escape Starling City," she snapped. "A few thousand lives are not the only cost if they get out."

"They won't," Diggle growled, his gun still pointed at Amanda. "Lyla," he said pleadingly, and for a moment, she hesitated before nodding her consent. She rushed back into the other room and accessed the drone files. Her fingers worked nimbly as she tried to reverse the strike and send the drone elsewhere; part of her wanted to set the new target to this place. However, she knew while this decision was terrible, ARGUS did a lot of good and kept a lot of villains locked up. The lower base was filled with those too dangerous for any normal prison, and without ARGUS, there would be no place to lock up the next dangerous batch.

"You really trust your boss will be able to stop Deathstroke?" Amanda asked, a laugh bubbling from her throat at the mere thought of that actually being possible.

Digg smirked and said, "I do."

…

Outside of Queen Consolidated was absolute silence and empty streets. Oliver hadn't been expecting riots of people, but he had thought Slade would have a few men stationed outside on watch. Then again, there was the possibility of the assassins sitting in wait nearby, and they could go unseen.

"We'll head back a block and go into the sewers," Nyssa explained. "We will try to warn you if we are unsuccessful at stopping Talia from activating the device."

"Can you three take her?" Oliver asked, chancing a glance at Malcolm. The fight between him and Slade was his alone, but he hadn't been against back-up until now. He wondered if the Dark Archer would be of more use in the sewers, and he tried not to consider the ease at which Slade would probably defeat him. His only chance was the cure, so to him, Malcolm being there or not would not affect the fight.

"You're not going against Slade alone," Sara replied, ignoring his question. Talia was smart but also egotistical; they just had to play on that if they wanted to beat her.

"Agreed," Malcolm frowned. "You're not doing this alone."

"It won't matter if Talia levels this block," he argued. "Join me afterwards, but you need to stop her."

"Three of us can take Talia," Viper growled, venom in her voice. It was true as long as they separated the hunters properly; three against two hunters then three against Talia would work. Viper did not want Malcolm to be with them; he was a liability to her and especially to Nyssa. She had tolerated Malcolm's presence thus far, and she would continue to do so until she could change her focus. It wasn't that she hated the elder Merlyn, but he had avoided League justice so far, sometimes because of her. She wanted to make amends to Ra's al Ghul, and hopefully spare Thea… but for that to happen, she needed to stay away from him. She needed time to convince Ra's to forgo the blood for blood in this situation.

"Ollie," Sara sighed, ready to continue the fight when her phone went off. Turning away from the group, she answered it without her voice changer to hear her father's frantic cries. Even with half the conversation almost inaudible, she picked up on what was wrong. She steeled her features as she closed her phone and tried to put herself in this moment. Behind her, Oliver was calling her name worriedly. "It's Laurel," she said, frowning. "A few of Slade's men have her and my father pinned down… it looks like they're trying to take her alive."

Oliver's face blanched, and he could quickly guess why. Slade remembered how often he had stared at her picture on the island; the ex-ASIS would drag her here to torment him even if he didn't feel that depth of emotion for her anymore. He'd still offer himself up to save her though, and that was what Slade was obviously counting on. Without Sara though, it would be that much harder on all of them, but he couldn't force her to stay with her family in danger.

"Go," he said, grimace in place. "We can make do."

"But," Sara said, obviously torn. It was Nyssa that broke her indecisiveness.

"He's right," she whispered to her lover. "We will be fine. Go help your father and sister."

Viper watched Sara take off like a bullet to her father's last known location, and she frowned, "I'm glad you all think we're going to do great. But I know that Nyssa and I cannot alone take on three hunters." It wasn't a lack of skill so much on their part, but the ability that when hunters worked in tandem, they were near impossible to take down without casualties.

"Malcolm is going with you," Oliver stated, and while the Dark Archer tensed for a moment, he eventually nodded his consent. They needed at least three archers to have any chance against the hunters, and Oliver had to go up and try to stop Slade. "I'll be fine."

Viper was set to argue, but she eventually calmed her nerves and thought rationally. There was no chance that Nyssa and she could take on three hunters; they would lose. She couldn't allow that; she had to protect Nyssa. It was a risk but a necessary one.

Unstrapping her quiver, Viper held it out to Oliver. "Here, take my arrows. He won't be expecting it, and with the mirakuru in his system, none of my arrows will be able to kill him anyway." He'd need every advantage he could get if he was going in alone. Anyway, it was what Talia expected from her, so not having the poisonous arrows would be safer for the three of them to keep Talia from using the arrows against them in turn.

They switched quivers, and Oliver gave the hunter a silent thank-you. Both notched the other's arrow to get a quick feel of how it would sit on the bow. That done, Viper grasped Oliver's in a shake and she said in all truthfulness, "Good luck."

The three turned to leave Oliver alone outside Queen Consolidated, and he watched them go until they turned a corner to find a system that would connect to the sewers. In his ear, Felicity was oddly quiet, and he wanted to say something that would calm her nerves about him going in. However, he had nothing. Taking a deep, centering breath, Oliver notched another arrow and made his way to the entrance. If he was lucky, there wouldn't be anyone on the lower floors, and he'd be able to work his way up quickly… but when was he ever that lucky?

….

Felicity found herself gnawing her lip nervously. It had been bad enough watching Oliver take on half of Slade's army and knowing she was the one keeping the army split in the club… but now, she had to watch him walk into QC alone with no back-up. Digg wouldn't show up this time to save the day, the League were going after Talia, and even Malcolm had to step away. Oliver would be utterly alone against Deathstroke, and she found her heart practically clawing its way out of her chest.

Next to her, Thea sat in the same turmoil. She was terrified of what that man would do to her brother, and now, he was alone in his fight. Half of her wanted to sit here until it was over, but another part, a larger portion, wanted her to do something. Viper had said the first step of being stronger was to just be… which meant she couldn't sit here and hide like a weakling. This was Malcolm's house which meant there had to be a spare bow somewhere… However as she looked to Felicity, Thea also knew that she couldn't just leave Felicity alone like this, and that's what her brother would want. With a barely concealed scowl, she took Felicity's hand in her and gave the blonde a reassuring smile.

Behind them both, Roy paced. He was full of energy after spending so long in a state of unconsciousness, and he didn't understand why Oliver hadn't let him join. There was a lot he could offer or so Roy thought. He wanted to be a hero, to do what the vigilante did… unlike Thea, who would prefer that the man who killed their mother suffered. She had a dark thought of wishing Slade had been League because then the hunters would have done all those horrible things to him for breaking their code.

"I can't sit here," Felicity finally whispered out. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she watched Oliver notch an arrow and head into QC, alone. She turned the traffic camera off. "I can't. I have to do something."

"Felicity," Thea frowned. "He won't want you in danger."

"Well," she said as she stood. "Too bad. He shouldn't have done it himself first." Thea watched as what she thought had been a meek IT girl grabbed a coat.

"I can't let you," Thea began but when Felicity spun on her, she added immediately, "alone. There's a bow. Let me grab it and I'll come with you."

Roy looked ready to argue with both girls, but one glare from Thea had him sealing his mouth. If there was anything he knew, it was not to argue with his girlfriend. She was beyond stubborn, and he wouldn't win… which meant he was also going. He couldn't let the girls go out alone, especially Thea. He watched as Thea handed over a small set of what looked to be throwing knives to Felicity- for protection- before she ran off into the large expanse of the house.

"The vigilante is going to kill me," Roy muttered to himself just as Thea returned triumphantly with a bow and a quiver of arrows. How she found one so quickly was beyond him, but they were ready to go. The only downside was that they had no arrows fastened with the cure, so they had to hope they wouldn't run into any resistance.

The entire way to Queen Consolidated was lit by fires and some riots; however, a large chunk of the city had begun to go silent. People were in waiting as they watched the police and heard the rumors of the vigilante stopping the super soldiers.

In the back seat of the car- that Roy thoughtfully stole- Felicity sat with her tablet clutched to her chest. She didn't once glance out the window as she didn't want to see what was out there. To keep her nerve, she had her eyes pinched shut and repeated in her mind over and over again what she was doing. When they got to QC, she planned to hack the mainframe and use the back-up generator to restore power to certain parts of the building. From there, she could do a lot more than if she had stayed at the mansion in hiding. The only thing she felt terrible about was that Thea had come with… she didn't want to put the younger girl in danger, but between the two of them, Thea looked far more prepared with what was to come, bow in hand.

….

In the sewers, the three archers moved consistently with each other, bows raised and arrows notched. They were expecting trouble around every corner, so they tried to remain as quiet as possible. Against ten of their own infused with mirakuru, they would need the element of surprise.

With a low whistle, Viper alerted Nyssa to an overhang when they came upon a larger intersection of the sewer. It was obviously a meeting place for multiple pipes, and the stench was almost overwhelming. Nyssa caught sight of what the hunter was referring to, and she waved Viper away. Higher ground would be great, and it would give the hunter a chance to glance around.

Viper slung her bow over her shoulder and climbed up with ease to the upper level. She wasn't that high up, but more so then they had been prior. Lying flat, she crawled along the edge to an opening that went into the next room, and that was where she found two of her ex-teammates. Reese and Kali were sitting hidden amongst the pipes, obviously waiting. They both had swords drawn. Viper would have maneuvered to draw her bow, but the confined space prevented her from doing so. Glancing around the room once more, she deduced that they were also alone, so it would be three on two. That made things easier for them; Viper was certain that they could take Reese and Kali and then go after Talia.

Making her way back to her teammates, she jumped down silently and told Nyssa of what she saw. They could have found a way around, but time was running down. Talia wasn't entirely known for her patience.

"Can we take them?" Malcolm asked, and he could feel Viper's icy tones when she responded,

"It won't be easy," she hissed, "but it's more than possible without Talia there."

Nyssa raised her bow and motioned for them to do the same. They'd fight their way through, so they entered the next room acting purposefully oblivious. Reese attacked first, but Viper had already dodged under Nyssa's bow to block the attack with an arrow and a swing of her bow. Reese stumbled away, hand pressed to the gash on his face.

"You should be dead," Reese snarled, and Viper could be seen grinning beneath her half mask.

"Want to change that?" she asked as Kali emerged from the shadows, her sword twirling around her wrist.

"We won't need to in a few minutes," the ex-hunter cackled. "I don't think we need to tell you why."

They had even less time then they originally had thought if the ex-hunters were speaking the truth. If Talia turned that machine on, a lot of people would die, and while it might say kill Malcolm and a bunch of the traitors to the League, for Viper the price was too high. Chancing a glance to the Dark Archer, she asked, "Can you disable it?"

He hadn't expected Alec to actually address him, so it took him a moment longer than necessary to answer. "I can." At least, he hoped so. He doubted the hunters had kept the entire original design, but between the three of them, he was the most suited to try and turn it off.

"Then you and Nyssa need to go on ahead and stop Talia," Viper said forcefully. "I will stay and deal with them."

"Deal with us?" Reese asked, head cocked to the side. "I doubt it."

"Go," she repeated to Nyssa mostly. "Neither of you can handle two hunters on your own, and Malcolm is the only one that can disable that device." It didn't need to be said, but these words seemed to snap Nyssa into the moment and the al Ghul had to agree with the hunter's assessment of the situation. If that device was turned on… Oliver, Sara… a lot of people would die as a result.

"Good luck," Nyssa said for Viper's benefit.

Before Malcolm could follow though, Viper had stepped back, bow lax in her grip. She grasped his arm and pulled him in close. "When Talia and I were children, I severed her femoral nerve." She saw his bemused gaze, but she pushed on ahead anyway. "It causes her pain to this day. A well-aimed shot to the inside thigh won't stop her, but it will cause her to pause."

"Why tell me this?" Malcolm didn't understand.

"She might be a traitor but Nyssa will still believe Talia to be her sister," Viper quickly explained. "She will hesitate in that moment… You won't."

"Ra's already despises me enough," he whispered. "I might hesitate as well if to avoid hurting one of his daughters."

"He won't and you won't," she said with a shake of her head. "To catch her off guard though, she'll need to get in close, so let her then strike." She gripped his arm a bit tighter before she released him and kicked the approaching Kali away. "Go."

Leaning down, he had to have the last word. "Try not to get yourself killed." It was an odd way of saying good-luck, and she tried not to grin as he moved away to head for the exit. Reese and Kali jumped out of their dull period of activity, but when they went to follow Nyssa and Malcolm, Viper was directly in their way.

Nyssa shot Malcolm a questioning glance, but he just pushed past her to head to the adjacent room. Behind them, they heard the tell-tale sound of two blades coming together. Viper had to be certain that neither Reese nor Kali could follow the two and after grazing Reese with one arrow, she had switched to her own sword as well. Clashing with Reese first, Viper ducked under his first swipe and came up hard with her own blade.

She missed and rolled to the side in time to dodge Kali's own attack. Both ex-hunters worked in synch as they ran at Viper, blades raised in perfect offensive position. Setting her feet, Viper blocked the first swipe by Kali, this time, and kicked her away in the sternum. She barely moved her head in time to miss the sword that nicked her throat. She struck out hard with her sword arm, catching Reese in the temple, and they each stumbled back.

"Come on now," Viper teased, a smirk on her face. "It's just like training. Except we finally have the opportunity to kill each other." They all clashed again, and Viper rolled between them with ease. She leaned forward and kicked Kali hard across the face before twisting her body into the air and doing the same to Reese. Landing on her back, she vaulted back to her feet, sword firmly still in hand.

Kali came at her from her left, and while she was busy blocking that, Reese came up and grabbed her around the waist, pinning one arm. Viper struggled, and her head snapped back when Kali used a right hook. Blood welled up from her new cut, and when Kali raised her sword, Viper threw her head back into Reese's nose. She felt his blood soak the back of her hood, and he released her in time to fall to her knees and miss the lunge. Swinging up, Viper knocked Kali's blade away, and she followed it up with a leg swipe felling Kali to her back. When Reese moved in again, Viper rolled back and kicked up.

She had no problem fighting dirty in this case, so when Reese fell forward with the agony, she felt nothing. Viper got back to her feet and took a deep breath. This fight was only starting, and she had just upset the other two ex-hunters. This was going to get worse before it got better.

The next few hits Kali came at Viper with, the hunter struggled with more to block. Kali got in a few solid hits to her face and ribcage. Nothing was broken, but the bruises were already forming from each hit. When Reese rejoined the fight, Viper found herself on her back on three separate occasions, and on the last, Reese had pinned her to the disgusting concrete, his hands wrapped around her throat. Her sword lay just out of reach, and dots had already begun to dance in front of her eyes. Nearby, she could hear Kali's throaty laugh.

Unable to reach her blade, Viper moved her hands to grasp Reese's thumbs. Prying them apart, she broke one, and with her head free, she again head-butted him. Now free, she scrambled away but not before throwing her leg hard back into Reese's arm. She hear the tell-tale sign of a crack; the only shame was that it wasn't his dominant arm that she broke.

Resting on her forearms for a moment, Viper spat the blood that had pooled in her mouth before she snatched her blade and got back to her feet. Facing her ex-teammates, she felt a wave of nonchalant. When they had been children, they had been good friends; it was Talia that had twisted them. She wondered then how much might have changed if things had been how they were supposed to have been.

"You think you can beat us both?" Kali growled. Even with a broken arm, Reese was deadly, and there was still a lot of ground to cover.

"I think I can keep you busy long enough to give Nyssa and Malcolm the necessary time they need." And that was the truth.

"You trust him?" Reese laughed. "He was your target. Now who's spitting on the League code."

"At the moment Reese," she sighed, "it's the lesser of two evils. He's not the one currently trying to drop a city on hundreds of innocent people." They met swords drawn again.

…

The first floor of Queen Consolidated had been filled to the brim with Slade's remaining men, and for a moment, he had thought he would have had to deal with them himself. However that was short lived when Nyssa's archers had rushed in behind him and began to deal with the soldiers. One of them even had shouted for Oliver to go, that they would handle this as he requested too.

Taking his chance, he rushed to the next floor where he met three of Slade's men head on. One got a quick arrow to the chest with the cure, but the other two had got in close real fast. This forced Oliver to use his bow and slash one hard in the temple, and the other he pulled another cure arrow from his quiver and stabbed it into the second guy without pause. Two down, one left. The soldier snarled and rushed Oliver, but the archer jumped up and landed his two feet into the prisoner's chest. Even with the mirakuru, he stumbled, and Oliver landed and rolled, coming up with an arrow that he shot squarely into the man's chest. Three down.

Those were the only three he ran into, and as he used the stairs, he found most of the security locks had been disabled- at least where he needed to go. His ascent went exceedingly fast as a result. As he reached the suite level of his once business, he found the darkness oddly disquieting, and he tried not to consider the advantage Slade's advanced eyesight would have in this atmosphere. Notching an arrow, Oliver went to move again when the lights came on abruptly. He spun into cover and waited.

When nothing happened, he left the safety of the corridor, arrow notched. As he entered his old office, he was forced to step over Sebastian Blood's body, and he tried not to feel anything for the man that had intended to betray the city. However, it was hard; similar to Malcolm, Blood had truly believed in what he had been doing.

"Good for you to finally join me," Slade said, full armor on, and all alone. "I was wondering how long it would take you to get up here."

"Stop this Slade," Oliver commanded. "This is between us."

"Made you a promise kid," he grinned as he drew a sword.

"And I can't let you fulfill it. I didn't kill Shado," he said and finally believing it himself. There was nothing he could have done that night to have changed the outcome, and he wasn't about to let Slade kill him for that. He'd stop his old mentor.

Slade snarled in anger as he rushed Oliver, who immediately shot three arrows in quick succession. Slade sliced them away and tackled Oliver hard into a wall to the point it cracked. He brought his elbow hard down on Slade's back, but it did nothing to dissuade the man, who threw Oliver like a ragdoll into the window. It was a miracle that the window didn't smash on impact.

Groaning, Oliver got back to his feet and grabbed another arrow, a different type, from his quiver. This time when Slade got close, Oliver threw the arrow and nicked the mercenary. At first, Slade laughed until he felt the effects of the pit viper venom at which point his face twisted into a snarl.

The younger archer tried to kick Slade away, and with the venom, Slade was too slow to block the first attack. He growled and stumbled back, but when Oliver tried again, Slade grabbed his leg mid-kick and slammed him into the wall again. This time the wall collapsed, and Oliver went through. His back burned from the contact, but he focused in time to roll away from Slade's stomp. Using a bolo arrow, he tried to tie up Slade's feet, who growled at the inconvenience.

Using his advantage, the Arrow tried a downset punch, and that seemed to stun Slade. When he went in with his bow, Slade grabbed it and head-butted Oliver. When the archer collapsed from the stars, Slade didn't hesitate in kicking Oliver while he was done. He didn't stop until Oliver stopped moving either. And just for good measure, Slade stepped hard on Oliver's arm to the point anymore pressure would cause fractures.

"Did you really think you could beat me?" he snarled down at the prone archer. He didn't break Oliver's arm, but he did bend down and pick the younger man up by the hood. Slade practically ripped it back. "You don't deserve to wear this!" In the background, he heard Shado cheering him on, and he pinned Oliver into the wall. "I should kill you," he continued with a smile. Blood trickled down Oliver's face. "But I still have the rest of my promise to fulfill to you."

Dragging Oliver into the main conference hall, Slade threw the archer onto the table and pinned his wrists behind his back there. His head hurt from the repeated beating, and he was struggling to maintain even a semblance of consciousness. However, the moment two of Slade's men dragged Felicity in, he was completely and utterly aware.

"Don't you dare touch her," Oliver growled as he struggled to get up. For his troubles, his head was slammed into the table again. Stars exploded and a groan escaped his lips. "Don't Slade… Don't do this," he said trying to switch tactics. "This doesn't involve her."

"You love her," Slade chuckled. "Of course it does. I was planning on bringing that girl from the picture here as well, but apparently my men ran into some trouble." One of Slade's men took the mercenary's place in holding Oliver down.

_Sara_, Oliver couldn't help but think.

"But she'll work on her own too," the mercenary continued. "I'm going to take everything from you, and when I'm done, I won't kill you. I want you to live in a perpetual state of agony knowing exactly what you lost."

He watched in horror as Slade raised a gun to Felicity's chest, and he did the only thing he could think of, he once more tried to escape. This time he dislocated his own shoulder in the attempt, and the suddenness of the pop surprised Slade's man enough that he was let go. Oliver rushed between Felicity and Slade in time to take a bullet to the chest. He could hear Felicity's agonized cry, and the floor greeted him in his haze.

Somehow, he was still on his hands and knees even with the pain of a bullet, and he glanced up to see Slade yanking Felicity away from him. He needed to help her… he had to stop Slade… there was only one other way.

…

Malcolm and Nyssa entered another side room, expecting this one too to be empty, but finally, they had found Talia. The eldest al Ghul was casually leaning against a wall, her sword lax in her grip. She looked amused by the entire situation, and her grin only grew larger at the sight of Malcolm.

"Good for you to join us," she called. "I was worried that you'd die in the earthquake or disappear before I had my fun."

"Stop this Talia," Nyssa snapped. "Come back with me to Father. He will surely spare you."

Talia laughed, a dry and hollow sound. "No he won't," she frowned. "Not until I make him proud and show him that I truly belong." She waved a hand at the markov device in the center of the room. "This will do just that. Join me Nyssa. We can truly be sisters."

Nyssa lowered her head and tried to look past the family relation as she raised her bow. There was no other way for this to end; she shot off two arrows, but Talia had already moved. The elder al Ghul closed the distance before both archers could react, and she had smacked Nyssa's bow away with a high kick. For Malcolm, Talia shoved him back and continued her assault on Nyssa.

It was then Malcolm understood Viper's words in their entirety; Nyssa had ample opportunity to turn the fight around but she remained on the defensive. Stepping in, Malcolm grabbed the al Ghul from behind, but Talia threw an elbow hard into the elder Merlyn's chest.

Nyssa moved in finally and tried a right hook combo, but Talia ducked under and threw her own uppercut. It grazed Nyssa's chin, but it mostly missed. Talia kicked back in time to catch Malcolm in the chest again, and he stumbled with a barely concealed growl.

Nyssa and Talia traded blows, but the hunter landed more. When the younger al Ghul fell, Talia didn't hold back on her onslaught; it was only Malcolm's intervention that probably kept Nyssa alive. He got between them without thinking about it, and he tried to catch Talia's next punch only for her to land one with her other hand to his stomach. He collapsed with a cough as he tried to pull oxygen into his lungs. He saw that Talia hadn't moved away and was enjoying the sight of him on his knees, so he lashed out hard with one first and caught her on the nerve Viper had told him about.

Her cry of pain was music, and he watched as the agony from that one spot caused Talia to tumble. Before she could get up, he had already spun and kicked her hard across the face. When she got up to fight, he had got his breath back and rushed in. Catching her head in a leg hold, he flipped her hard into the concrete, but before he could get back up from his own attack, he felt Talia's shin connect hard into his ribs. He rolled in trying to protect his organs, but she only kicked more viciously.

"I don't understand you," Talia cackled as she took a moment to catch her breath. "You came here to manipulate your daughter and kill Oliver for his hand in stopping you last year, am I right? That's the only reason you came back to Starling, and I'm sure had you convinced Thea to leave with you, you would have spent months turning her against Oliver if he had lived."

Malcolm rolled onto his hands and knees and glanced to see Nyssa was struggling back to her feet. He needed to keep her talking, so he sighed and admitted, "You're right. I came to do all of that and more. I hated Oliver for what he had done to me the previous year, and I would have done anything to convince Thea to leave with me… including turning her on him… which started with me telling her the truth about his identity."

Had Thea stayed for a minute longer, she would have heard the rest of Malcolm's words… but she didn't. The moment Malcolm had said all of that, she retreated back into the shadows and rushed as quietly as she could from her spot.

"But not any longer," Malcolm continued getting to his feet. "Oliver is like a son to me. You won't get to either of them."

"I don't need to," Talia laughed showing the trigger for the markov device. "This will do everything for me." He rushed to try and get the button away from her in time to watch her push it. His eyes went wide as he heard the device behind him activate. "Your face is priceless," she smiled. Emotional wounds were always so much fun to twist in Talia's opinion. She went to open her mouth again when an arrow went hard into her chest; she looked over to see Nyssa lowering the bow. No words poured from Talia's mouth, only blood. Her ego had caused her to overlook the younger al Ghul, and she swore revenge in her mind as she stumbled away.

More than anything, Malcolm wanted to follow, but he had to disable the markov device first. Spinning away, he ran to the device and pulled off his gloves to open the timer box. He hoped he remembered enough to turn it off…

…..

Viper stood over Reese's dead body, blood dripping from her gloves from where she had just slashed the other man's throat. It was done… Limping over to her bow, Viper expected little resistance, but when she looked up, she was shocked to see Thea standing there- bow raised. The hunter had to give the girl credit.

"Take your shot," Viper offered. "There's only two ways this can end." Even if she died, in a few years, this would start all over again, but perhaps by then, Thea would be ready to take on another set of hunters.

"Either I die for him or I kill you," Thea summarized, to which Viper nodded. Thea's face twisted into something unrecognizable, and she loosened the arrow. Viper cringed as she expected it in her own chest, but when she felt nothing, she looked behind herself to see Kali had been coming up. The arrow was lodged perfectly in her left side, near her heart; before Kali could sputter something out, Viper turned and put a blade through her throat as well.

"Nice shot," Viper panted out, resting her hands on her knees as the younger girl approached.

"Did I kill her?" she asked, uncertain.

_Yes_ came to mind, but Viper squashed it. "It would have been a fatal shot given time, but I'm the one that took her life." The hunter hoped that it didn't frighten the girl to think how close she had been to taking a life. Viper looked up to see Thea less frightened and more considerate. "If you're smart, you will kill me now."

"But in a few years, more hunters will come," Thea summarized.

"Yes, they will," she answered with a frown. "I'm sorry."

"It's your job," Thea muttered out before pausing. "You said there was another way… one where I get to live."

Viper frowned and straightened- surely the girl couldn't have been considering..? "Yes," she answered hesitantly. "But that one requires you to join the League of Assassins and torture and kill your own father."

"He's not my father," Thea growled quietly before repeating it to an almost shout, "He is not my father." She turned on Viper wanting a few more answers first. "He broke your code, right? He wasn't forced to?"

"We don't force anyone into the League Thea," she nodded. "He knew the code coming in, and he had to repeat it when he swore an oath to Ra's al Ghul."

"Then he deserves it," Thea said with a growl, her voice firm. This was not the girl Viper had threatened all those weeks ago- tied to a chair and helpless. "He did this to himself, and I'm not dying for him. Not when he killed all those people. He deserves worse."

Viper gripped Thea's shoulder needing the younger girl to understand the exact implications of her words. "The League is no place for heroes." They lived in a world of gray. "We keep peace and prevent people from Malcolm from usually doing such damage… but we do not do what your brother does. We kill, Thea… Torture, young or old. We are not the good guys."

"I'm not looking to be my brother," Thea announced. "I'm not him, and I don't want him dying trying to protect me from something Malcolm did to himself." She gripped the bow tightly as she fought back the wave of emotions threatening to pour over her. Finally she said, "I want to join the League and do what you do. I want to help stop people like Malcolm Merlyn."

…

Upstairs, Felicity cried as she watched Oliver collapse after taking a bullet for her. She had to be forcefully dragged away from him, and she was thrown roughly into a chair as Slade growled. He had apparently not expected that and had wanted Oliver to live longer purposefully to hurt the archer more.

"Well Ms. Smoak," Slade said once he had regained his composure. "That just leaves us." He pulled his sword out again and moved to set it gently on her neck. She closed her eyes and shook; she couldn't look at Oliver's body. It would kill her a hundred times more. "At least, he did the right thing in the end…even if it changes nothing."

Felicity expected pain; instead, she opened her eyes in time to watch Oliver slam into Slade. Both men tumbled into the window, and this time, it did shatter. She ran over in time to watch Oliver successfully land an arrow and throw them both into a level below. Without thinking, she rushed to the stairs and ignored the dead bodies of Slade's men. Everything had happened so quickly.

Oliver tried to ignore the whisperings in his mind as he focused on the fight before him. He had always carried a vial of mirakuru on him, and with the assortment of Viper's poisons on hand, it hadn't been hard to pick on and nick himself. He was thankful though that it had taken quickly, and through the haze of anger and pain, he had seen the danger to Felicity. He'd do anything to protect her, including this.

This time when Oliver and Slade met head-on it was on an even playing field. Slade's punch felt no worse than what any gang-banger would have thrown, and Oliver attacked just as viciously back. He didn't hold back; he didn't care to. Slade had threatened Felicity, and for that, he had to die. Oliver kicked Slade under the legs and sent the older man tumbling. He threw his knee down as a follow-up which Slade dodged.

The former ASIS tried to hit Oliver in the face, but the archer ducked back and kicked out instead. It caught Slade in the chest, and he growled with the force. He could see exactly what Oliver had done to himself, so as they stood and considered each other, they both grinned with a bit of insanity. They crashed into each other again, and Slade tossed Oliver onto a nearby desk only for the Hood to throw a leg up and catch Slade in the face. When he went to stumble back, Oliver grasped his neck with the use of legs and tossed him over the desk. Slade crashed into the floor hard, and when he went to get back to his feet, he felt Oliver's foot hard in the middle of his back.

On the next kick, Slade grabbed Oliver's foot and tripped him. He quickly straddled the younger man. The archer felt trapped and the punch to his sternum that followed, but before Slade could get a good grasp, Oliver had brought both knees up into Slade's back. When he fell forward, Oliver grasped Slade around the neck with one hand and brought his elbow up with the other. He followed it with a right hook that sent Slade over, and before the older man could get up, Oliver lashed out with both legs and forced him back down.

Vaulting up, Oliver quickly began to land kick after kick to Slade before fell to his knees and punched the mercenary over and over. The island flashed before his mind, but he didn't care. All he could focus on was that Slade had hurt and almost killed Felicity.

"Oliver stop!" she cried at the sight of Oliver's hands bloody and Slade's face not doing much better. She rushed in and grabbed his arm, and he spun angrily on her… until he saw who it was. "This isn't you… Please Oliver," she pleaded, and he could see her eyes were drawn to the blood… his and Slade's splattered across the room.

Oliver could practically feel Shado, Moira, Yao Fei… everyone he helped to kill… clawing at his mind. Tommy… he could feel his friend practically leaning over his shoulder and Tommy's dying words reverberated in his mind… enough so that Oliver stepped back and calmed. He was not a killer. Felicity was right…

And he realized the pain Slade must have been in for years. The guilt, an everyday reminder, and he felt pity for his once friend. Reaching into his quiver, he retrieved the cure and silently injected it into Slade before standing. He used an additional few arrows to restrain the mercenary before looking to Felicity. Pain was in his eyes, and he was terrified that he would see she was just as frightened of him as he was of himself.

"Oliver," she whispered, and he reached back to grab another arrow before handing it to her. "I can't."

"And I'd prefer not to collapse on my own arrow if the cure hits me hard," he replied not approaching her for fear of scaring her. "Please Felicity."

"Why did you do this to yourself?" she cried, hating the sight of Oliver already blaming himself for everything that happened tonight.

"Because I love you…" And she injected the arrow into his chest without hesitation.

…

There was no earthquake…

But the city still felt the terrible after effects of the night… so did the team. Unbeknownst to each of them, something had changed… and it had changed each of them in its own way. This night was a long way from being forgotten, and however it had been prior to this, it would never be again.

**Note:** Well this chapter was insanely hard to write but viola. Next chapter is sort of an epilogue where you find out what happened to everyone the following morning- every character. And I will include a preview of Valkyrie, though I'm thinking some of you might for sure now know what it's about.  
Also for those that have been curious, Valkyrie will take place partially between season 2 and 3, and then I plan to AU some of season 3 as well. This means some of what happens next chapter might be similar to the show, so that I have some continuity to work with (and by that I mean small things like where Slade ends up for prison). However, this also means I can overlap the Flash into the sequel too- so there's that


	65. Epilogue: the Fallout

**Epilogue**

The total lives lost the previous night were still being tallied; bodies were missing, buildings had collapsed, and fires continued to rage throughout the war torn Starling. However past that, people rose from the city in one voice, and it was a rallying cry thanking the vigilante. The few traffic cameras that had remained on had recorded the waves of super soldiers he had fought, and that footage had somehow made it to the news. It was all the anchors could talk about, and out of everything that had happened that night, the vigilante was considered to be good news.

Nonetheless, Oliver hadn't seen much of the coverage; he had spent a large part of the night unconscious at the Merlyn mansion. The cure so soon after the mirakuru had flattened him, and he was lucky that Roy and Malcolm had been on hand to drag him out of Queen Consolidated and to sedate Slade.

When he had finally woke, Oliver discovered a majority of his team had remained with him through the night. He had found himself on the couch and scattered throughout the room, all asleep, were Felicity, Diggle, Roy, and Thea. Those only missing were the League- Nyssa, Sara, and Viper… he worried for a moment that perhaps they had perished in the fight, but he thought better of it. They had their own members to tend to, but what worried him was the lack of the Dark Archer. The last the younger archer had seen the elder Merlyn, he had sent Malcolm after Talia…

Sitting directly against the couch, slumped and snoring softly, was Felicity, and the sight of her brought back the previous night's memories. Unconsciously, he gripped where the bullet had entered his chest, and he found he had been stripped of his top leathers. There was no mark from even where the bullet had entered him; for once, he would not have a scar.

A rather large snort pulled Oliver's attention back to Felicity, so he gently dislodged her from where she had used his arm as a pillow and stood. He shakily made his way over to Digg, who was also out like a light. A low whistle snapped Diggle back to the land of living, and when he saw Oliver on his feet, he jumped up and hugged the other man.

"You are not allowed to do that again," Diggle stated, rather loudly, effectively awaking everyone else.

"What were you thinking?" Felicity asked, practically pulling Oliver to her, but before she could rant anymore, her arms were tight around his neck. She had her face plastered against his chest.

Running the back of his hand down her arm, he tilted her head to look up, and his gaze promised they'd talk later. There was a lot left to deal with first- namely Slade and Malcolm's whereabouts. She seemed to understand, and while she stepped back, she kept in physical contact with him. The reminder that he was there and alive… and not dead from a bullet to the chest was important to Felicity.

"How bad was it?" Oliver asked, clasping Felicity's hand in his.

"It could have been worse," Diggle admitted. "A lot worse."

"Yeah apparently someone from AR… something… threatened a drone strike," Roy attempted, and he was obviously uncertain indicated by his stumbling.

"Amanda was ready to level the city to prevent Slade's men from getting out," Diggle explained, and Oliver tried to take a deep, relaxing breath. He needed to have a few words with Amanda apparently; their history was extensively intertwined unbeknownst to most of the team. He'd make sure that she wouldn't try a stunt like that again.

"What about the markov device?" he continued. He didn't remember the device going off, but everything after the cure was extremely hazy.

"Malcolm successfully disabled it," Nyssa answered as she appeared in a doorway. Her League clothing had been ditched for a simple pantsuit; however, she didn't look any less dangerous. "Even with Talia's modifications," she added remembering how close they had come to being crushed under a building. At one point, he had even told her to run and warn the others as he hadn't been certain he could do it.

Oliver tensed at the sight of the League's heir, and he found himself standing protectively in front of Thea. The younger Queen scowled, but when she saw Roy looking to her, she quickly steeled her features. Viper's words echoed in her mind: act normal, give Oliver a believable excuse for leaving town, and then meet her at the docks tonight. The hunter did not want the Arrow chasing them to Nanda Parbet, and she figured Thea's best advantage against a warrior with years of experience on him would be the element of surprise.

"He isn't here," Oliver growled. He truly had no idea where the elder archer was.

"Nor is Alec," Nyssa answered, a softer smile gracing her features. "I had her remain with the other assassins so if he had been, there wouldn't be a conflict. We are leaving soon, Alec and Sara, included back home." Her father wanted them home immediately with Talia's escape now known. He didn't want Nyssa or Viper alone, and while she hated being coddled, she admitted the advantage of regrouping.

"Is Sara..?" he began to ask since she also was not in sight.

"She was here earlier," Digg explained. "But she had to go to the hospital to spend time with her father."

Before Oliver could question, Nyssa had already moved to add, "He suffered internal bleeding from one of Slade's men. He will live, but Sara did not want to leave his side until he had stabilized. Hence why we are not out of your city yet." She turned to leave having said her peace and timeline; however, she did cast a glance over her shoulder and looked to both Oliver and Thea. "We should be leaving tonight… that might be useful for some people to know." She paused before adding, "And I would expect Alec at some point before we leave. She will, at the very least, want her quiver back."

With that, she vanished into the hallway, and no one needed to be told that she had given Malcolm and Thea not only a warning but a window of opportunity. Oliver had to wonder what had happened in the sewers for Nyssa to even consider giving Malcolm a chance to escape and disappear; however whatever it was, he was thankful. He had, not for one second, think things had changed; the League had their code and Malcolm and Thea were still targets. The temporary truce was now over, and he had his sister to worry about again. He had little doubt that Malcolm could disappear without any aid, but he glanced to Felicity nonetheless. She'd be able to help, and he silently reminded himself to ask her about it later when they were alone. Erasing his tracks away from Starling would be the first step to ensure that the Dark Archer kept one step ahead of the League.

"Now can anyone tell me where Slade and Malcolm are?" Oliver asked turning to his team. Diggle shrugged, but both Roy and Felicity looked ready to answer.

"Slade is tied up down… wherever the basement is in this place," Roy answered helpfully.

"Malcolm said he had things to take care of," Felicity explained. "And then he did his ninja thing and poofed away." She waved her hands to accentuate the 'poof'.

"Okay so where does that leave us?" Oliver asked trying to find his footing. Everything had crashed fast the previous night, and trying to piece it together today was difficult. He needed to figure out what to do with multiple people, and the order of importance of said people was undecided.

"Well…" Digg began, and Oliver immediately began to regret asking.

….

Helena sat in the airport, hair dyed and pulled back, hat tilted down and sunglasses on. She was trying her best to sneak out of the country as quickly as she could before ARGUS got their feet back underneath themselves. After Diggle had left to go back to Starling to help Oliver clean-up, Amanda had made mention of some suicide squad to her, and that was all it took to set her running.

She would head to a country without extradition and vanish into the crowd. The prison would miss her certainly, but she wasn't about to turn herself back in. There wasn't anything for her in Starling anymore; her father was dead, and the hunters she would have liked to kill were also either dead or gone. It disappointed her to think that she wouldn't be able to get revenge… but then again, what good had that done her with her father?

Checking her watch for the umpteenth time, Helena tried to relax as she waited for her flight to be called. Her first stop was China, and then, she would fly out from there to other countries. First though, she'd have to change out her passport; it was a risk as it was using her current one. It didn't state her legal name, but anyone with half of a mind would realize she was using her dead fiance's last name.

The airport came under a hush, and she glanced around to see that a number of people had moved away from her. She only had a second to react before the swarm of soldiers came at her, and she successfully kicked away the first ARGUS man. Chucking her bag at another, she jumped over the seats and took off into a dead run down the airport.

…..

A headache was beginning to form in Oliver's temples as he was forced to listen to the officers' state the obvious over and over. He understood the damage to his club; after all, he caused half of it. They didn't know that, of course, but they kept asking him questions about why his club turned into a hotspot last night for half the nonsense that occurred. He wasn't sure how many more times he could say 'I don't know' before he wanted to snap.

"Enough officers," Detective Lance said stepping forward, and Oliver was glad to see the older man back on his feet.

"Detective," Oliver said pleasantly enough, "I heard you were in the hospital. Are you sure you should be up and around?"

"You sound like my daughter," he said, the smile obviously forced. "I'm fine. It looked worse than it was." As if just noticing the damage, Detective Lance took in his surroundings. The club would need to be stripped and refurnished in total- something Oliver Queen could not currently afford with his company in turmoil. "This?"

"Is as bad as it looks," he sighed. Last night, it hadn't looked this bad, but he had been thoroughly distracted with Slade. "And as I told your colleagues, I don't know why my club turned into… what is it called?... battle royale?"

Lance nodded and clapped Oliver on the shoulder. "I figured as much," he said. "I just thought you'd like a break from all the questioning." While they were on better terms, Oliver wasn't sure where this came from. "My youngest has been looking for you." Then, it made sense. "Mr. Queen," Lance said in parting as he walked away to continue to help with the set-up of crime tape.

The bodies from last night were long gone, but the blood remained- only those of Slade's men most likely. The League would have cleaned up their own before this morning as if they never existed. Even their arrows that had pierced the walls had been removed and some of the holes had even been covered to create the illusion it had just been the vigilante against Slade's men, as unbelievable as that was.

As Detective Lance moved to the entrance to call Sara, he passed an oddly familiar woman. He couldn't help but stare, and Alec grinned and winked at him as she brushed by. She was oddly amused at running into him after putting him in the hospital herself all those weeks ago. There was no way he'd recognize her from that night or any of the other ones where she had been out, but walking directly onto a crime scene probably was nettling his instincts. At least, she did have a reason to be here- namely Oliver.

"Alec," he growled out when he saw her strolling up to him. If this turned into blows, it wouldn't end well for either considering the very public audience they'd have. "I was wondering when I'd see you. Nyssa said you…"

"At the docks," Alec finished, waving her hand inconsequentially. "She's off dealing with Sara, so I thought I'd slip away and talk with you." Leaning back on the bar, she surveyed the clean-up and watched how tense Diggle was with her presence. "I'm sure you know why I'm here."

"I don't know where he is," that much was true. He hadn't seen Malcolm since the previous night, but he did know that the elder archer was still in town. Felicity had told him just as much; he expected a visit from said archer later.

"And if you did you wouldn't tell me," Viper mocked. The change in attitude from the previous night was a bit of a whiplash, but for the hunter to do her job, it was necessary. She didn't want the vigilante to think that she would just disappear. It was better for him to understand that this was still her job, whether she liked it or not, and she had to complete it.

"Then why are you here?" he asked, tense.

"Because I need you to understand my threat still stands," she shrugged. "I have no interest in your city or friends unless you get in my way… again. If Malcolm is out of this city, as am I." The threat was barely concealed, and she didn't look too concerned about spouting this in a public place. Oliver was reminded of the first time he met Alec and how easily she had poisoned Felicity with little care. The only difference now was that she was giving him another chance to step back again and stay out of it.

"And I don't want you in my city," Oliver replied, his own tone indicating how willing he was to make sure she was removed.

Viper wasn't overly shocked by his reaction; the hunters, or ex-hunters, had done a majority of the damage the previous night. She didn't blame him for disliking her just as much as her ex-brethren. In the end, their opinions of each other didn't matter; they both had what they considered to be their duty. His was to protect the city from people like her, and she just wanted to complete the reason she had originally came here for.

"Then be sure that Malcolm is gone before I need to return," she said in turn. When a police officer walked by, they both smiled pleasantly enough until he was out of earshot. Then, they were back to sharing scowls.

"And what about my sister?" he asked. Thea was the last family he had left, and he wasn't going to lose her too. He didn't care if he had to take on the entire League of Assassins to protect her, he would.

Viper sighed audibly and glanced around the club before answering. "Our code dictates her life is mine to take… but if I can't find her." She shrugged to demonstrate her point. "Keep her out of my way, and I don't see why we'd have a problem." Which was, of course, a complete and utter lie. The code wouldn't care if she could find Thea or not, but by taking the younger Queen under her wing, the code could be redirected. This was the only way to save Thea's life besides a pardon from Ra's al Ghul himself.

Oliver didn't respond as he considered the hunter's words. He was thankful if a bit suspicious of it. However, he didn't say this; instead, he directed her to Digg. "Your quiver is in my car."

"Oh good," she grinned. Before she left completely though, she issued Oliver one more warning, "Do not help Mr. Merlyn Oliver. If you continue to protect him and he returns to Starling, it might not be me you see next… it could be Ra's al Ghul himself, and I'm sure you've heard enough rumors to know that is the last possible thing you could want."

He had the whisperings, and she was correct that having the actual leader of the League in Starling would be a disaster. He'd take Slade set loose over that. Ra's was known for his honor, but his viciousness and tenacity was well spread as well. Rumors of his invincibility and having never fallen in a fight were things Oliver could believe after all he had seen thus far. However, that didn't weaken his resolve. Malcolm had helped him; he'd return the favor. If that meant he'd have to face Ra's… so be it. He protected his allies.

With that, Viper respectfully bowed her head and turned to follow Digg. Oliver wasn't sure when he'd see the hunter again, but he was certain this was not their last meeting.

….

Hours after the police had left the club and Oliver Queen had taken his leave, Detective Lance had remained. He had already had his goodbye with his youngest, and while he would miss her, he couldn't blame her for following her heart. At least she was happy, and to him, that's what was important. He knew she was alive; that was enough.

As he checked over the last bit of crime tape, Lance was ready to leave and continue with the clean-up with the city when he noticed an odd spot in the wall. The basement stairs were supposed to be behind that, and he saw that the usual keypad had practically been ripped off the wall. He didn't remember any of his officers checking back there, but the damage was so minuet that even he might have walked by had he not been absentmindedly staring at it.

For insurance purposes, it had to be marked, so he walked and easily pried the door away to see that the other side had been dented to all hell. He wondered if that meant the basement had been trashed, and he sighed with the realization he'd have to do that much more work.

Pulling out some tape and a camera, he descended the stairs ready for the place to be demolished… which it was, but when he turned on the lights, he stopped and stared.

…

The meeting with Amanda went about as well as expected, and while she didn't directly apologize for the potential drone, she had helped him with the current issue. Oliver rubbed his face wearily as he crawled out of the cell specifically made for Slade, emotions running high. The man below his feet had helped to turn him into who he was today, and just the previous night had helped to forge him anew. Slade had sparked the fire… but it was Felicity who finished it. Because of her, he was no longer a killer but a hero. Slade might have been the means, but she was the reason… now beyond Tommy.

Walking to her, he gently pulled her taut against him. Nearby Digg stepped away to give them a moment. There was still so much to do in Starling… including talking to his sister… and maybe Malcolm. He had yet to reappear, but Oliver suspected he'd hear from the elder archer sooner rather than later. The League wasn't going to stop… but that was another issue to deal with tomorrow. For now, he was content to keep Felicity against him.

"How'd you know?" he whispered, and at her questioning look, he elaborated, "How'd you know you could get met to stop? I was ready to kill him." Because and for her…

"You would have no matter what," she smiled. There was still so much for them to say to the other, but they finally had the time and the chance to do it.

"Why?"

"Because it's who you are," she answered. "You didn't need me to tell you that."

"I needed a reminder though."

She kissed him gently. "Sometimes… sometimes we all do."

There was a lot to do tomorrow, but for now, Oliver felt lucky. He had his team, and he had her. Then finally, he truly felt like a hero. He could give Starling City exactly what it would need in the coming days, and the task was no longer daunting as long as he had them.

….

Unbeknownst to Oliver, Thea had already ditched Roy and the house. She used her usual escape route of a window to sneak out. Later she'd feel bad about Roy, but he couldn't come with her. This was something she needed to do. If she always allowed people to protect her, she would never learn how to be better or stronger… and she was done with how she was.

Wandering the docks, Thea finally found the hunter leaning casually against a crate, eyes closed. She didn't need to be told though that Viper was fully aware of her presence. "You know why I had you meet me here and go home first?" the hunter asked.

Thea knew this was a test, her first of many. She needed to be ready for the physical and emotional exertion it would take to be like the hunter. "You wanted me to be sure that this was what I wanted… There's no going back after this."

"No, there's not," the hunter nodded kicking off and turning to face the younger Queen. "The League will give you exactly what you seek, but it might teach you things about yourself you might not be ready to accept. Are you certain this is what you want?"

It wasn't what she just wanted, but needed. Thea needed to have control of her life again, and this was just the first step. She wanted to peer into the darkness like her brother had and come out stronger for it. The fires would forge her into not someone new but who she always had been. "I'm ready. When do we start?"

"Now," Viper responded throwing the girl a bow. It felt natural in Thea's hand, and she gripped it tightly as she followed the hunter away from the docks. Ra's wouldn't be thrilled with this development since she'd have to train the girl, but he'd give her this. After everything, he would.

...

Talia hissed and groaned as pain wracked her body. Her mind was torn and stressed as she thought back on how this all spiraled down to this. She shouldn't have lost, not against that traitor, not against the Arrow, and least of all against her ex-teammate. Talia would show them. She'd make them pay and show Ra's how good of a daughter she could be. He'd be proud of her...

With that last thought, Talia injected the sedative quickly followed by the mirakuru.

END SHORT CHANGE HERO

,…..

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….

…..

….

**Valkyrie**

Lessons: Easy

Standing on the roof edge, she peered over at the streets bustling with life and lights of waivers vendors were trying to sell. In the darkness of the night, it was a gorgeous sight, and one she took a brief second to appreciate. Her target hadn't run by yet, so she had this opportunity, one she knew from experience would not happen again.

Movement in her periphery set her on edge, and she dropped to a knee, arrow notched. The man was sprinting all out, and with the mirakuru in his blood, he was by far faster than any normal human. She had to account for this, and as he landed from a jump from an AC unit, she had him in her sights. However, she hesitated… her arrow most likely wouldn't kill him; the pit viper poison was concentrated, but the ex-League members had shown resistance to it in the past.

By the time, she had steeled her resolve, he was already out of an optimal range. Cursing under her breath, she stood and sprinted after him. When he jumped from the current roof to the next, she didn't hesitate here in following. She had already learned prior to trust her body, and the jump was no longer daunting. Her body was strong; she'd land it.

The momentum ran up her legs as she successfully made the jump, but her target had already crossed more than half of the current building. He'd be on the next before she'd even get close to catching up. Notching an arrow, she tried to run after him and get a clear shot, but she had always struggled a bit more with this. He was about to make the jump, and the arrow she let loose only nicked him.

However, it got his attention and he spun on her, a snarl hidden underneath his cowl. Rule number one screamed in her mind though as he rushed towards her- she had to keep her distance. As an archer, she did best at longer range, and while she could fight hand to hand, against these men, she was more likely to end up with a broken bone first… something she couldn't afford.

As she darted back, another arrow notched, she got control of herself… only to freeze again when he got in close. She couldn't take what her brain kept telling her would be a lethal shot; against mirakuru, it wouldn't be. However that was just semantics to her instincts.

Before he could get his hand around her though, another arrow came from the far side of the roof, followed by two more, and these put the traitor down. He wasn't dead, but the grouping on his back suggested he'd be in a lot of pain and most likely unconscious.

"You hesitated," Viper stated jogging over and checking the man's pulse. It beat strong beneath her fingertips. They wouldn't have long before he roused himself again.

"I did," she confirmed. Thea had learned during one of their first training sessions that it was better for her to just admit her mistakes. To the hunter, the only way to learn was to first acknowledge what went wrong then improve. When she lied, she would spend hours in physical conditioning until she was ready to vomit.

"Because against a normal person, you would have killed him?" she asked as she knelt next to him, dagger drawn.

"Yes." He was supposed to be her first kill; the first time she was entrusted to actively participate in a hunt and not just observe. When she had been told this, she had been excited to actually put to use what she had spent the last four months learning, but obviously, she had overestimated her ability. And as she stared at Viper, she could tell that this was the point of this exercise. This was less of a hunt and more of a learning opportunity.

"Your first is always the hardest," Viper nodded as she ran a finger down the man's cervical vertebrae. She didn't look up to Thea as she explained this. "A quick and clean death is to sever the spinal cord." At the third vertebrae, she gave her knife a thrust and effectively killed the man. Little blood and no struggle. Talia's traitors deserved worse, but Viper didn't want to scare Thea into learning these things. If she hadn't hesitated, Viper would have been more open to teaching the girls interrogation techniques against a man that would have taken much longer to kill, but Thea had… and Viper had expected it. The first was the hardest to overcome unless one was a serial killer or sociopath, of course.

When her mentor glanced up expectantly, Thea knelt and asked, "What vertebrae? And why not lower?"

Grasping Thea's hand, Viper had her run her fingers along the ridges of the spine. "If you go lower, you risk the respiratory system still working. By cutting it close to the skull, you guarantee the lungs will stop and it will result in death not paralysis." Pushing Thea's fingers into one vertebrae, albeit lower than her own cut, Viper showed the younger girl how the spine came together. She handed the new recruit the knife. "He's already dead, but I want you to feel the pressure it takes to cut through the spinal cord."

Thea followed Viper's instructions, and on her first try, she couldn't even get the knife in. With a frown, she tried again with the same luck. She listened carefully as the hunter explained that to sever the cord, she had to slip between the vertebras, and while most of their swords could cut bone, the dagger she was holding needed to find the cartilage to make it through. On her fourth and fifth try, though, she succeeded and grinned to herself. It had taken more pressure then she would have thought, so she was thankful to know now and not later.

"So we do that…?" Thea asked as she stood to follow her mentor. Viper brushed her hands on her lower leathers and retrieved her arrows from the corpse.

"When we need to move quickly or when you don't want to leave blood," she explained. "As long as you don't catch an artery, it should be clean." She retrieved the knife from Thea, but she noticed how the younger girl was still focused on her earlier failure. "Do you want me to lie to you and say this get easier?"

"Not really. I want the truth always," Thea nodded after a moment's hesitation. She had tried to convince herself that this would eventually get to the point where her stomach wouldn't turn on itself; however, she had begun to see that it wouldn't. She enjoyed the fighting… but the killing, and sometimes not having a choice was something she wasn't thrilled with.

Looping her arm around Thea's shoulder, Viper pulled her in close. "It doesn't or it shouldn't. Your first kill is the hardest because you're worried about what it will reveal about you. Once you undergo that first transition, you won't be as nervous the next time." Looking to her young apprentice, she continued, "You don't want your father… Malcolm… to be your first. You'll always focus on that one moment then because he meant something, albeit bad. And that will keep you from realizing your real change. Because this, killing, shouldn't change, your first kill will eventually blend in with the others."

"And if it does change? It does get easier?"

"That's the day you turn into a traitor," she explained. "Because life means nothing to you. This job, this duty, is important. Do not ever think that we do not value life. We do."

"We protect it by taking those few out that threaten it," Thea finished, and Viper squeezed her shoulder in pride. "Just wish I could choose my targets," she muttered.

Viper didn't respond but laughed lightly. Pulling Thea to the edge of the roof, she decided the girl deserved a treat after everything. "I know a nice little café a few blocks from here. How about you call your brother then we go get dinner? On me."

Thea smiled at that. She'd have to decide what country to tell her brother that she was now in, but she liked calling him every few weeks. He sounded happier now, and half a world away, she felt closer to him then she had in ages. She hoped when she did see him again though that he accepted what she had decided to do. After all, she had yet to regret her choice of becoming a hunter, and she anticipated the day eagerly when she would catch up with Malcolm.

**Note on Valkyrie: **Now before all of you go "ITS THEA CENTRIC"? Let me say, yes Thea is in this one a lot more heavily than in SCH, but Oliver is the main character along with Felicity still. What will happen in Valkyrie is that the story will mostly follow Oliver in Starling, but for the first half, occasionally a chapter will be called Lessons, and that will flash to Thea and what she's learning (and they might not go in order, but I'll label them appropriately. They will also have Sara and Nyssa). This is still about the unlikely alliance between Oliver and Malcolm, and this chapter here is not the first chapter just a segment that gives an idea of what the full story is about.

**Summary:** After the defeat of Slade, Oliver finally sees himself as the hero. Even with Talia still free and in the shadows, he's never been happier. He has new teammates, the city accepts him, and he has Felicity. He thinks his sister is safe from the remaining hunter… without realizing that Thea is specifically training with the League to go after Malcolm herself… So when the world finally comes crashing down, he wonders if the darkness inside each of them will finally consume them all. Olicity, Thea/Roy, Sara/Nyssa

**General Note:** We made it! Thank you to everyone who made it here with me and read, reviewed, all of that. You guys made writing this worthwhile. I hope you will all stick around for the sequel! Thank you again!


	66. Note for Valkyrie

**Note:** Valkyrie is now up, and will be on a once a week update. Said update could come at any point during the week. I write when I'm free to, but I hope you all enjoy it!


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